The Interlocked Misfit
by Hakimu
Summary: When the Babylon Rogues begin to fail their missions, they become desperate to the point of taking in an unlikely fourth member: Cream the Rabbit. However, her heroic friends will do whatever it takes to bring Cream back. But is it worth it?
1. Failures, Arguments, and Surprises

The first time I have ever committed a crime was when I was twelve years old. I remember it perfectly; I stole some machine parts from an auto store. I spent days planning the heist, and it was worth it. My plan was well executed. I ended up getting everything I needed and more. My teammates were pleased with me, but not as much as I was pleased with myself.

Five years later, thieving became second nature to my team and I. It was in our blood, after all, as the decedents of the ancient Babylon Rogues. There are only three of us, and we work well together. Well, we usually do.

I, Wave the Swallow, am the brains of the Babylon Rogues. I plan our heists down to the core and act as a mechanic for our extreme gear.

Storm is the brawn of our group. Despite being oldest at nineteen, he is the dumbest. I hated being around him for fear of his stupidity rubbing off on me. I had to hand it to the big guy, though: what he lacked in brains he made up for muscle. The guy was basically a sack of meat overloaded with muscle.

And then there's Jet. He's snotty, rude, lazy, greedy... and the leader. It was a position he was born into - once his father died he was to become leader. And since Jet's father died when he was eight years old, we were blessed enough the have the youngest leader in Babylonian history. I guess the ancient Babylonians never saw that one coming when they made these traditions. It might sound like I have ill feelings towards Jet, but I really don't. Even though he is four years younger than me, he has the skills to be a great leader. He is fearless, determined, and speedy- his most important trait. Thanks to his skills on extreme boards, Jet was earned the title "Wind Master" due to his incredulous speeds and has won quite a few races for the Babylon Rogues. He has earned us fame and the occasional prize money. Of course, the prize money is never enough so we have to resort to stealing, but nevertheless Jet is a valuable member of our team.

"Hey, focus Wave!" yelled Storm with his annoying drowsy voice.

"I was thinking about the mission. Back off!" I snapped back at him.

"Now is not he time to be arguing, you two!" yelled Jet. "Storm has a point, Wave. It's not like you to stay silent like that. Keep it together, will ya?"

I stamped my foot. "For the twelfth time, we already went over the plan! Storm and I are going to pose as an couple fighting couple. When the employees get involved, Jet will sneak in and grab the cash. The we high taint outta there and fly back up to the airship. Got it?"

Jet and Storm nodded. "Okay, ready team?" called Jet. We all put on our goggles and grabbed out extreme boards. It's showtime.

Storm jumped out of the ship followed by me and then Jet. We hit the ground gracefully and sped towards the planned convenience store.

We arrived in no time and Jet took his position by the window. "Remember, lay low and when the moment strikes, waste no time. Be as fast as you can," I reminded him.

Jet rolled his eyes. "Be as fast as I can?" he quoted. "You don't have to tell me that twice."

I wanted to slap him. "Just don't mess this up. C'mon Storm."

We walked to the store and waited for the crowd to die down a little. It was my job to start to ruckus, so I was waiting for the perfect time to strike. Finally, the number people in the store dwindled low enough for us to easily escape. I turned towards Storm.

"What are you doing? Don't touch me!" I yelled. I hope Storm remembered his lines. I swear, if he messes this up...

"Stop being so stuck up! One little disagreement and I'm not allowed to touch ya?"

"Nope! Not until you stop being such an insensitive jerk!" I took a quick glimpse around; everyone was staring just as I has hoped. I forced myself to not smile at my success.

"You shut your mouth!" yelled Storm. To my pleasure he grabbed he nearest shelf, which happened to have assorted snacks and candy bars, and threw it over, sending all of the food flying on the other aisles. The people in the store backed up in horror while the employee at the cash register decided to finally get involved.

"Now look what you've done!" I screamed as loud as I could. This was the code phrase for Jet to make his move. The shop employee grabbed Storm, who did not fight back.

"Excuse me but I'm going to have you pay for this, or else I am calling the cops," he whispers harshly to Storm.

"Sorry, we're broke," said Storm as he delivered a nasty uppercut to the employee, knocking him out cold. I was about to grab Storm and make a run for it when I heard Jet yell. I turned to face the register and froze. Jet was behind the register holding a large bag of cash, but a bystander decided to get involved and was choking Jet. Reluctant as ever, Jet was not letting go of the bag even though it was obvious he wasn't getting any oxygen. I took my handy wrench out of my pocket and threw it at the bystander. I smirked as his body flew backwards from the impact. Jet faltered a second to get air into is system then took off. Storm and I followed suit until I felt a pair of meaty hands grab onto me and throw me onto the ground. I was face to face with a large, angry bat woman.

"Not my husband!" she yelled as she punched me in the face. I heard a sickening crack and felt pain cascade all over my face. She had split my beak! I tried to push her off of me but her weight was too much. She put her hand in the air; she was going to strike again! I yelled for back up.

Within seconds Storm was there to lift the woman off of me. Jet helped me up and winced when he saw my face. I smiled to reassure him I was alright when the woman escaped from Storm and tackled Jet to the ground. Storm pushed her off again and I helped Jet up.

"Let's bail!" yelled Jet as the three of us scrambled out the store, grabbed our gear and flew away.

When we arrived at the airship, the three of us went to Jet's office to talk about the mission that was obviously a failure.

"You okay, Wave?" asked Jet passively.

"Yeah. At least we got the cash," I said as I fingered the crack on the side of my beak. Cracking a beak was the bird equivalent to busting a lip.

"Actually, I dropped it when that fat lady tackled me. After that we ran out, so yeah."

"You left the cash behind? Ugh! You idiot! It's your fault we failed!"

Jet immediately got defensive. "I caused us to fail? Ha! You're the one who came up with the stupid soap-opera acting ploy! What happened to your brilliant nighttime infiltrations? Those plans were worthwhile! This plan sucked, Wave! I bet even Storm could have done better planning than that."

"Well excuse me for trying something new!" I yelled back.

"Why would you abandon the old ways when they worked out just fine, Wave?"

That rendered me speechless. "The boss has a point," muttered Storm after a few moments of silence.

"Pipe down, I don't need your commentary too, " I snapped. I threw myself out of the chair I was sitting in. "I'm tired and I'm going to my room. Don't bother me until tomorrow."

"Wave, it's only six o' clock," said Jet.

"So?" I asked as I continued to walk out without looking back. As I entered my room I couldn't help but feel as if it was my fault that we failed our mission even though it was Jet who left the money behind. I should have planned better!

There was a knock at my door. I thought I told those idiots to not bother me! I got up to open the door and unleash my fury when I realized there was nobody there. If they are playing tricks with me, bad things are going to happen to them. I slammed the door shut as a warning.

"Down here," said a small voice. I reopened the door to find a little girl looking up at me happily. How did she get in here?

"Uh, can I help you?" I asked.

"Yes. I would like to join you. Join the Babylon Rogues, I mean."

You have got to be kidding me.


	2. Prove Yourself

"You said what, now?" I questioned. I had to be imagining things.

"I want to join you, you guys are awesome," said the young girl. I got a better look at the girl and noticed she looked familiar.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Cream the Rabbit," she said. "And this is my chao, Cheese." Cream pulled a sleeping blue chao with a red bow-tie out of her pocket. Cute.

"Uh, how did you get in here?"

"I flew!"

"How? You're a rabbit."

"I used my ears, silly!" announced the girl. As if I was supposed to know that! She then demonstrated her strange ability to me. I have to admit, it was pretty impressive. But there was no way this underaged outsider could join the Babylons. "Well, what do you think?" Cream asked me. Only a minute and she was already getting on my nerves.

"Listen kid, how about..." I smiled as a brilliant idea hatched in my head. "...I take you to see Jet!" It was perfect for revenge, letting Jet deal with the girl. I'll show that little punk. Next time he'll think twice before he blames the entire team's failure on me.

"Why?" asked Cream innocently.

"Why, he's our leader! You have to meet him if you want to be one of us."

"Oh, then I'd love to meet Mister Jet."

"Okay, follow me and I shall take you to him." I left my room and led Cream to Jet's office. Boy, I could not wait to see the look on his face when he saw Cream!

"Ohhhh Jeeeet," I sang happily as I entered his office.

Jet was sitting at his desk looking out of the window. He spun around in his chair, obviously annoyed. "What do you want?" he said angrily. I knew that I had interrupted his precious Jet time, which was going to make this even more bittersweet.

"I have someone here who has an interest in meeting you." His eyebrows arched slightly, showing me that I captured his interest.

"Oh?" I pulled Cream into his sight. Jet let out an overdramatic sigh. "And who are you?" he asked rather harshly.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Jet. Miss Wave has told me much about you." Jet shot me an angry glance. "My name is-"

Jet waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, I don't care who you are. Just tell me what you want and get it over with!"

"I want to join the Babylon Rogues," she squealed. I clamped my hand over my mouth to stop myself from giggling. This was getting good.

Jet's eyes nearly popped out of his head and his beak opened wider then I thought possible. After a few seconds he regained his composure. "What? Listen girlie, the Babylon Rogues aren't exactly open admittance. Also, I have no idea who you are!"

"My name is Cream the Rabbit. We've raced together a few times! You don't remember me?"

"Kid, I've raced with many people and I only remember the best. No offense." Cream frowned for a fraction of a second. I'm willing to take bets that Jet is going to make this girl cry.

"But we were in the World Grand Prix with you! We were the top four... and we won fourth place!"

"You were in the World Grand Prix? No way!" shouted Jet.

"You were?" I asked Cream. "And you were in the top four? What was your team name?"

"I raced with Team Rose!" Cream announced happily.

"Oh! You were that little girl with the vizor!" I gasped. She had skills for such a young girl. No way this was the same girl!

Jet must have remembered her too because he got up from his chair to get a better look at her. "How old are you?"

"Six and three quarters."

Jet nodded his head approvingly. Wait, what? That's not part of the plan! He's supposed to be angry and annoyed, not pleased! "W-wait, Jet, you're not seriously considering-"

"Come on, Wave, think about it! She has skills for such a young age. If she stuck around with us, she'd become unstoppable! We'd be rich."

"But ancient tradition says-"

"-that she can't officially become one of us. But she can still hang around us."

"But Jet! Being a Rogue isn't just about the racing, you know!"

To my surprise, it was Cream who responded to that instead of Jet. "Oh, I know," she said, "you guys also steal things. And excuse me for saying this, but you guys aren't good at it." Did she just insult us? Politely..?

"We used to be good at it," muttered Jet. "Cream " Jet actually used her name, which was a bad sign, "to be one of us, you have to be able to fight."

"But, Mister Jet, I can fight!"

Storm walked in at that crucial moment; I guess the noise we were making was too much for the big guy's and curiosity became too much for him. "Hey what's going on, Boss? Is Wave bothering ya?"

"Can it Storm. We're busy," I said.

"Hey, who's that girl?" asked Storm, ignoring me as usual.

"Possible intern," said Jet, still inspecting Cream.

"Jet, you can't be serious! This was just a joke!" I exclaimed.

"Quiet, Wave. The three of us will discuss this later."

He paused and looked at Cream. "Cream says she can fight. She'll have to prove it."

"And how is she going to do that, Jet? Please, enlighten me."

Jet snickered. "Cream, how about we give you a little one on one with our weakest fighter, Wave? That way you can show us your skills." I didn't know if he was being sarcastic or serious.

"Jet! You can't possibly think I am going to fight her!"

"You'll do as I say, Wave. Go easy on her, Cream." Storm chuckled from the doorway and entered he room fully. He wanted to watch the fight.

"I really hate you sometimes, Jet," I said as I went to the edge of the room. Cream, who was strangely enthused the idea of fighting me, skipped over to the opposite side of me. Jet laughed and sat back comfortably. Jerk.

I grabbed my trusty wrench from my back pocket and waved it in front of Cream, hoping to scare her a little. She looked at the wrench as if it was one of her toys.

"Okay, go!" I instantly chucked my wrench at the poor girl. However, she evaded by using her ears to take flight. With a powerful flap she propelled herself forward, connecting feet-first with my face. The impact caused me to lose balance and fall backwards.

Without missing a beat I got back on my feet. Cream was standing there waiting for my next move. I stole a glance at Jet - he was holding back laughter and failing miserably.

"Oooh, and to think I was going easy on you!" I screamed as I delivered right hook to Cream's face. She grabbed her cheek and stumbled to the side. She didn't back down. This girl is one tough six and three quarter year old!

"Get her, Cheese!" yelled Cream in the angriest tone that her innocent voice could manage.

I moved in to hopefully pin Cream to the ground when I felt something pound my head.

"Chao! Chao! Chao! Chao!" Cream's pet chao Cheese was repeatedly slamming into my forehead. I tried to swat it away, but the creature seemed to be a master of agility.

"Hey.. UGH! No fair! Ow!" I grabbed the deceptively cute chao and squeezed it in my grasp. "Haha! Now I got you, you little- OW!" Cheese bit me on the hand, causing me to release him. Who knew that a chao could have such sharp teeth?

Apparently, holding Cheese into a death-lock didn't scare him like I had hoped. If anything, it gave him more incentive to attack me. He body-slammed me over and over. My whole body started to go numb and I started to lose my balance. I felt a rough kick to my back: the final blow. I was just defeated by a chao and a six year old girl. I can no longer call myself a Babylon Rogue.

As I laid facedown on the floor and heard clapping and... laughter? I lifted up my head. Jet and Storm were laughing at me! I feel so horrible and defeated; I don't want to exist anymore. I was about to pull myself off of the floor when a gloved hand appeared smack in front of my face. I recognized it as Cream's. I hesitantly took her hand and got up off of the floor.

"You did great, Miss Wave. You fought back for a long time. You're a great fighter."

I turned away from her, unable to respond. Was she being nice to me? After winning a fight with me?

"What's the matter Wave? You've got brains and no brawn? Haha!" taunted Jet.

"At least I have one of those things," I retorted. "All you have is speed, which is partly from the board that I built you!"

Jet opened his mouth for a quick comeback, but surprisingly he took a deep breath and said: "You're right, Wave."

"You... I... what did you say?"

"You heard me, Wave. You are right. I owe some of my success to you. So does Storm. You might be an awful fighter - you just lost to a six year old - but your extraordinary intelligence is a vital part of the team."

"Huh! What are you getting at?" Jet paying me compliment meant that he had an ulterior motive.

Jet decided to give me the cold shoulder and turned to Cream. "Cream, could you step outside? We have some deliberation to do." Cream stepped out without a word of protest and Jet continued. "We all have something to contribute to the team. That's why the Babylon Rogues have been so successful over the centuries: teamwork. But our numbers have dwindled and we don't have as much to offer. But maybe, if we take Cream in-"

"Woah, Boss," yelled Storm, who had been silent the whole entire time. "You aren't seriously considering letting this little girl join us?" First Jet admits I'm right, then Storm disagrees with Jet? Okay, something funny is definitely going on.

"Yes, I am, actually. Though tradition forbids her from actually becoming a part of us, we can keep her around."

"But Boss, what does she have to offer?"

"I can't say yet, Storm. But she has potential; I can feel it."

"That's nice, Jet," I said, "but she won't really fit in with us."

"What do you mean by that?"

Storm spoke for me. "Uh, boss, doesn't the girl seem kind of... civilized? None of us are well-mannered like her." For one of the first times in my life, I nodded my head in agreement to what Storm was saying.

"Maybe we could learn something from her," suggested Jet.

I slammed my hands on his desk to get the point I was about to make across. "Jet, you cannot be serious! She's six! We're all older than her; if anything, she's going to be the one learning from us! And that's not a good thing because we are bad influences!"

Jet made a face that suggested he was impressed. "What is this? Wave showing motherly qualities?" He and Storm bursted into a fit of laughter.

"I never though I'd see the day," teased Storm.

I couldn't help but laugh with them. "Hey, at least I have a heart." The three of us glanced at each other and laughed even harder. "Okay, so maybe I don't," I said after the laughter died down.

"Aw, sure you do Wave. A very small one, but you have one."

"Thanks Jet," I said sarcastically. "I'm being serious about Cream though."

"If it doesn't work out, we can let her go."

I sighed. "Okay, she can stay. But she is not sleeping in my room!"

"Or mine," said Storm.

"Fine, she'll stay in the guest room."

"But Jet, we don't have a guest room."

"Sure we do! The supply closet is now a guest bedroom. Go change it, Storm. And send in the girl on your way out."

Without question Storm walked out to change the supply closet into a guest room. Sometimes it irritated me how willingly Storm obeyed Jet orders. He was like a confused puppy following around an impulsive master.

"You wanted to see me, Mister Jet?" Her honey-sweet voice and proper manners made me cringe. This girl is not Rogue material, even if she can fight! Jet must be out of his mind.

"Congratulations, you are now one of us!" said Jet.

Cream clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh yay!"

"You do know you'll have to live with us, right?"

Cream's eyes widened. "No, I didn't know that! Oh, what will Momma say?"

I cast Jet an 'I told you so' look. "So, does your mother know that you want to become a Rogue?"

Cream looked down at he floor. She was obviously aware that she had done something wrong. "No, I didn't tell her."

"What do you think your mother say?" I asked impatiently.

"She'll be happy for me, but I don't know if I can live with you guys. Besides, she only knows that you guys race. She doesn't know about that you guys steal things. She wouldn't like that at all."

"What are you going to do if your mother says no?" I asked.

Cream smiled. "Run away and live here anyway. I really want to be a Rogue!"

My lower beak dropped to he ground. Jet nudged my side. "Huh, maybe she does have what it takes to be one of us."

"Maybe," I huffed.

"So, Cream, why don't you go talk to your mother right now! And take Wave with you as our representative."

I looked at him menacingly. "What," I said slowly.

"I think you are he most civilized out of the three of us. I hope you'll impress Cream's mother. And when I say I hope, I mean you will impress her. I'm counting on you, Wave."

As much as Jet bothers me, I don't want to let him down. I don't fully understand why he wants Cream on the team so much, but he probably has his reasons. And his reasoning most likely includes money.

"Okay, Jet." I got up and grabbed my extreme gear. "You first Cream; lead the way."

The young girl smiled at me before jumping out if the window with ears extended for flight. Before following suit, I turned to give Jet a piece of my mind.

"I don't know if you're just doing this to bother me or if you really want Cream on the team, but I know you have hidden motives and I will find out what they are."

Jet shook his head. "You're over-analyzing the situation, Wave. I have motives, but I already explained them to you! This girl has skills for such a young age. We can train her to be a Babylon legacy. Plus, she's acquainted with Sonic so-"

"Ha! I knew it! Hidden motive!"

"Sorry Wave, but as leader I have to do what it takes to keep the team on top. And keeping Cream around is in our best interest."

"Is it our best interest, or your best interest?"

"We'll find out soon, won't we?"

"Okay, I have faith in your decision." I said as I stood next to the window. "For now." With that, I jumped.

As I flew down towards the ground to catch up with Cream, I felt the adrenaline rush flood my body faster than I was falling. I'm sure if you asked any of us what the best par if being a Rogue is, we would all way the adrenaline rushes. They make you feel so powerful, like you are on top of the world.

Being a Babylon is great and all, but it is a lot of work. I hope Cream knows what she is getting herself into.


	3. Putting on a Show

"So where do you live, Cream?"

"In Leaf Forest. It's right around the block."

As we sped towards her house I couldn't help but notice how nice her neighborhood was. There were plenty of trees, leaves were everywhere, and the houses were extravagant. Best of all, the now setting sun cast a shadow that gave the place a feeling of tranquility. It makes sense that someone like Cream was raised in this sort of environment.

"Which house is it?" I asked.

"That one!"

"...you're kidding." Cream's house was three stories high complete with a large pool and an exquisite garden. "Nice place!" I yelled.

"Thanks!" beamed Cream. "Momma likes to garden."

"I can see that," I whispered as we marched up the front steps. I felt myself grow nervous as Cream knocked on the door. I had to pull this off. I had to impress Cream's mother. After all of the failures we have endured in he past month, something has to be done right; I was planning on starting with this. This was going to be a reversal of fortune.

"Oh Cream, I was wondering when you would return home!" said an unfamiliar voice. I looked at at Cream's mother and wasn't surprised with what I saw. She looked just like Cream except she was taller, darker, and fuller. "And who is your friend with whom I have the pleasure of meeting?"

"Momma, this is Miss Wave." Cream's mother grabbed her skirt and did this odd sort of bow where she crossed her legs and bent them.

My intellect told me to do the same, so I copied the strange bow as well as I could. I didn't know what to do with my hands because I was wearing pants instead of a skirt like Cream's mother, so I kept them at my side awkwardly.

I guess I pleased her because she smiled at me approvingly. "I'm Vanilla, Cream's mother. How about I show you our house, then we sit down for tea?"

"Sounds lovely... ma'am." Good thing Jet and Storm aren't here to make fun of my poor attempts at being courteous.

As nice as the outside of Cream's house was, the inside was ten times better! Whatever these rabbits have, they have the best: the top brands, the brightest colors, the softest pillows; their house was paradise.

After the tour, Vanilla led us to a small table on the back porch where she poured tea for us. I watched Cream the whole time to figure about how to act. As smart as I am, I know nothing about etiquette.

"You have a nice place, Mrs. Vanilla." I said.

"Thank you, dear. My husband was quite rich."

'Was' rich? Not.. 'is' rich? Interesting. I wanted to ask her about her husband, to satiate my powerful curiosity, but that would be rude. Maybe I could coax he information from Cream later.

"Momma," said Cream, "I'm here with Miss Wave because I want to ask you something."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Well... I was wondering if maybe... I could join their racing team."

"I don't see a problem with it. You've raced with Amy and you're quite good at it. Sure you can join another team." She paused and looked me over. "And you, Wave, you're one of the Babylon Rogues, aren't you? I saw you race on TV with my daughter. You and your team are impressive. I am proud that you have

interest in my little Cream."

"Yes, Mrs. Vanilla, your daughter is skilled. My teammates and I would be grateful to have her on our team. I should also inform you that she will be an intern, so she won't be doing anything dangerous."

Cream looked down nervously. "But Momma... there's a catch. I'll have to live with Miss Wave and her teammates."

Vanilla let out an angry sigh. "Cream, honey, why didn't you tell me that sooner! Now I'll have to think this over. Why does she have to live with you anyway, Wave?"

I had a brilliant lie planned in case something like this was to happen. Intelligent people always have backup plans. "Well, Mrs. Vanilla, the Babylon Rogues are a serious racing team. To be the best, we have the bet and we keep them the best. With our grueling training schedule, it would be more convenient to have Cream live with us in our airship."

"Hm, well I cannot argue with that reasoning," Vanilla chuckled. "But still, I don't like the idea of Cream living somewhere else."

"She can come and visit you on Sundays. Those are our off days."

"Momma, please? I want to be the best, and Miss Wave can offer me that chance." Cream gave her mother a puppy dog eyed beg face. It was quite charming; if I were her mother... it might work on me.

Vanilla put her hand to her mouth as a side effect of her decision making process. "Oh, alright. But you are to call me every night and visit me every Sunday! Do I make myself clear, young lady?" I blinked back the shock at Vanilla's sudden harshness.

"Yes Momma!" exhaled Cream, clasping her hands excitedly.

Vanilla started to bombard me with questions. "How long is she to live with you? Do you have enough food to feed her? What if she gets hurt? What if she doesn't-"

I held up my hand to stop the barrage of questions. "Mrs. Vanilla, everything is taken care of. We have already made accommodations for Cream's stay. Right now she will be with us for three months, which is the standard internship duration. From there, we'll contact you if Cream is to stay longer."

"Well, Wave, you surely lead your team well."

"Oh, well thank you ma'am," I responded sweetly. She doesn't have to know I'm not the leader, does she?"

"Well, Momma, I'd hate to rush off, but Miss Wave's boss is expecting us back ASAP."

"Boss? Oh, I'm so sorry Wave, I thought you were the leader." I brought my hand to my face. Why Cream? Why? Did you have to ruin my moment, even if it was small?

"I'm the representative, which is close enough."

Vanilla gracefully got out of her seat, as did Cream. I decided to do the same. She went inside and fetched Cream a small bag of living supplies. Cream wrapped her mother in a huge hug and walked to me.

"Goodbye, girls. Have fun! Be safe!" doted Vanilla as she entered her house. Her parting words very motherly, as expected.

"Let's go, Cream!" I hollered. It felt so good to be rude again.

"Don't you mean, 'Shall we depart, Miss Cream?'" she asked sarcastically, clearly making fun of my attempts at proper manners during tea.

"Yeah, okay, time to go," I said as I hopped on my extreme gear and flew back to the airship. Cream began to fall behind with nothing but her ears and I was growing impatient; I ended up slinging her on tue back of my board and taking her back to the airship myself.

By the time we got back, it was almost dark. Jet must have been expecting me to fail (surprise surprise) because he looked as if he wasn't expecting to see me back so soon. Nevertheless, he looked pleased that I bright Cream back.

"So... how'd it go?" asked Jet.

"I do declare, Mister Jet, that the meeting with Miss Cream's mother was success, and the girl is allowed to lodge with us."

Jet became paralyzed with laugher. "Haha, is that how you talked the whole time with Cream's mother?"

"Basically," I huffed. "It feels so good to talk normally again, like you don't even know."

"Well, great job Wave. How did you pull it off?"

I felt myself swell up with pride. "I told her mother that Cream had to live with us because we are a serious racing team and the team has be together at all times for intense practices."

"Huh. Impressive." He turned to Cream. "Well, looks like you're officially a Babylon Rogue... intern. So, we have to go over some rules."

"Okay, Mister Jet."

"That's one of them! No more of that... niceness. No more Miss or Mister. You've got to be a rough and tough Rogue. Now try it on Wave. Tell her hi, the way a Rogue would do it."

"Hello, Miss Wave!" she said. I couldn't help but facepalm at the poor attempt.

"No! More edge! Try again!" Jet barked. "If Wave can pretend to be courteous, then you can pretend to be rude!"

"Hi, Wave." she said simply.

"Better, but not enough!"

Cream wiggled in place and clenched her fists. "Yo Wave!" she said in a deep voice. Jet and I looked at each other and exploded with laughter. Cream laughed as well. "Well, how was that?"

"Good. Just use your normal voice. You don't have to go all manly on us."

I let out a small giggle. "What are your other rules, Jet?"

"Ah! There's only one more rule: I'm the leader and you must obey me at all times."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course."

"Sure, no problem... dude," said Cream, who was straining to follow Jet's first rule.

"You'll get used to it."

"Wave, why don't you show Cream to the sup- guest bedroom," ordered Jet.

"Smooth," I said as I took Cream to her room. Jet had previously told Storm to turn the supply closet into a guest bedroom. Knowing Storm, he probably just threw a mattress in there and called it a day.

When I walked in the room, I noticed it actually looked like a guest bedroom save for all of the shelves that held our spare parts and equipment. Luckily Storm cleared these shelves out so that they looked like they belonged in there. But wait... where did he put everything?

"Wow, it's nice, but why are there so many shelves?"

I had to go see Storm to find out where he put all of the equipment. "I don't know, enjoy them because they were a lot of money! I've got to see Storm so you stay put," I commanded as I ran out of the supply-closet-turned-guest-room.

"Storm! Storm! Storm!" I yelled as I ran down the halls towards Storm's room.

"Hey, pipe down, I'm napping here!" Storm angrily flung his doors open. "What do you want?"

"You did a great job turning the supply closet into a bedroom, but where is all the stuff?"

Storm looked worried. "Oh, Uh, I-I figured it was mostly mechanic stuff, s-so I put it where you c-could get it easily?"

"And where would that be?" I threw my hands upon my hips. "Where did you put the equipment?"

"In y-your room," he admitted.

I didn't yell, scream, or attack him. I turned on my heel and walked away back to my room. Storm has made me so mad that he has pushed me past the point of confrontation. Does he even think? Why would I want all of this mechanical junk in my room)

I walked into my room and- AUGH! I was facedown on the floor. I pulled myself up, flipped on the light switch, and stifled a scream. Storm had put the contents of the supply closet in my room all right. He dumped them all over the floor. My room was full of various extreme gear parts, fuel containers, and anything else you would find in a mechanic's supply closet.

I sucked in a big breath and prepared for the loudest scream I have ever made. "STOOOORM! GET IN HERE NOW!"

Storm must have been expecting this because he appeared right behind me in seconds. "Y-y-yes, Wave?"

I took a deep breath. "You decided to dump everything on my bedroom floor, to the point where I would trip over it?"

Storm looked around nervously. "U-Uh, well,"

"Save it. You're too stupid to know that we have more than one supply closet. You could have just moved the stuff into another one." Better yet, why didn't you just turn an empty supply closet into her bedroom? It'd save you the work!"

"B-but Boss wanted her in the closest room to us."

"Still, you could have put all of the stuff I'm an empty supply closet instead of my room. Now pick it all up."

Storm skittishly grabbed a handful of parts and ran off to the supply closet. Since he is strong he was able to clear my room in three trips. Still, he is such an idiot! I mean did he really throw this stuff in my room and expect me to be okay with it?

"Wave?" asked Cream's voice from the doorway.

I started to rub my temples. Today was a tough day and the effects were starting to rub off on me. "Hm?"

"Do you guys always fight like that?"

"Yes, because Storm's an idiot."

"Oh. I guess I had better get used to that." I went to lie down on my bed and noticed she was still in my doorway.

"I hate when people beat around the bush. So if you want something, just cut to the chase and tell me."

"I hope we don't end up like that, Wave. I want us to be friends."

"Well, Cream, you seem to be pretty smart. Now, if you just stay out of my way, I'll sure we'll get along great."

"Sounds easy," responded Cream with a yawn. I glanced at the clock; it was five minutes until eight.

"You might wanna go to bed. You're in for a rough day if training tomorrow morning. I doubt Jet will go easy on you."

"Okay, I will...I'm glad you liked my house," she said randomly.

"Your house is so nice! Must have cost a fortune."

"Yeah, but my Dad used to be able to afford stuff like that."

"What happened? Your mom said the same thing."

"My dad was shot and killed during a store robbery. The robber and the policeman were having a shoot-out, and right before the robber was killed, my dad was hit by the robber on accident. I was born a little while later."

"Oh, I'm sorry Cream."

Cream almost walked away, but paused and looked me straight in the eyes. "No one has ever asked about my Dad before. Thanks, Wave. I've always wanted to tell someone." She gently shut my bedroom door and went back to her room.

I sighed. I feel almost guilty that I was so against her joining us earlier today. I have to admit, it is nice having her around when she's not being all cordial. With just Jet and Storm, I'm always aggravated, bitter, and stressed out. Maybe having Cream around will soften the sharp moods that we always seem to be in.

This sounds like a long-shot, but maybe... maybe Cream will change us for the better.

That is, if we don't change her first.


	4. Here Comes Mr Hero!

I woke up to the lovely sight of Jet being right in my face. I pushed him off of myself soon as I came to my senses. "What the heck, Jet? I'm sleeping!"

"No you're not. We're going to Central Park to train Cream. Get up now because we're leaving in five minutes!"

I got up, shoved Jet out of my room, and shut the door. I might not be as quick as Jet but I can get ready in five minutes! I put on my red computer-necklace, my white bandana, and my racing shoes. I strode into my personal bathroom and brushed my teeth. I even threw some water on my face to wake myself up a little. Then I went back to my room, grabbed my gear from he corner, and dashed into the lobby of the airship. Storm, Jet, and Cream were all there with their gear waiting for me.

"How was that?" I asked.

"About three minutes... I think," said Storm.

"You were still the last one ready!" yelled Jet.

"Well excuse me for having a broken alarm clock. Seems like we can't afford a new one!"

"Enough," said Jet calmly. "We are not brining money into this. Let's go!" He opened the doors of the airship and motioned for us to exit. When we all exited, he punched in the code and locked it. "I found a nice little clearing a few miles away from Central Park and decided to park the airship here. Any objections? No? Didn't think so."

I sighed. "Jet, why didn't you just park in the parking lot?"

"Because, Wave," said Jet, putting a sneery emphasis on my name, "parking something that big would require a parking permit, which costs money."

"Oh." I quietly hopped on my gear and rode towards the park. Like always, it turned into a race and like always, Jet was first, I was second and Storm was third. Cream was dead last and was falling behind badly.

"Cream, your board sucks!" yelled Jet as she finally caught up to us in the park.

"Her gear probably needs to be tuned. Let me take a look." Jet jerked his head in my direction and Cream handed me her board. I inspected it quickly and found my deductions were true: her board was horribly out of tune. In fact, so badly out of tune that I couldn't fix her board here. I'd have to talent back to the workshop where I keep most of my tools.

"Bad news, Jet. Her board is horribly out of tune. My goodness, Cream! I've never seen a board this bad before."

"Can you fix it quickly?" asked a very annoyed Jet.

I glanced at the board. "Sorry, no. This board will take a very long time. It should be finished, say, tomorrow night?"

"AUGH! How are we supposed to practice, then?" Jet asked me.

"Cream's board is a flight type. My board is a flight type. Let her practice on my board. I'll tune her board to match mine since that's what she'll be used too after this practice session."

"Good plan, Wave! But what are you going to do while we practice?"

"Well, I have my emergency tool kit with me. I could start to work on Cream's board. Maybe I'll get the basics done at the least."

Jet nodded and the gang walked off to start practicing. Cream ran a starting lap to show Jet her current skills. Jet was offering Cream constructive criticism and she seemed to be taking it very well. Hopefully he won't snap at her like he does to Storm and I. You know, sometimes I don't blame Jet for being harsh with us. I'm a hothead and Storm's an idiot.

I remembered what I was supposed to be doing and began to tinker around with Cream's board. Hmph. She probably has one of the best boards money can buy and it's nothing compared to the boards I make. Even that two-tailed fox makes better boards than this useless hunk of metal. If we had the money for supplies, I would build Cream a whole new board. It would take half the time to make a whole new board than it would to fix this junk.

"Hey Wave, your gear was so much fun to ride! It makes me not want to go back to that thing," said Cream, pointing to her dismembered extreme gear.

"Technically, you won't have to. Tomorrow I'm going to give your board the Babylon touch. It should run as smooth as mine." I glanced over at Jet and Storm. "What's going on?"

"Jet says I know a lot for my age. He wants to work with Storm a bit then he's going to come back to me." Cream sat down next to me.

"Hi Wave," said an familiar voice.

"Tails!" screamed Cream as she sprang up from the ground. I slowly got up to see Cream hugging a short yellow fox.

"Well, what brings you here, squirt?"

He ignored my question and looked at the mess on the ground. "What are you doing to Cream's board, Wave?" he asked blankly.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm fixing it! Her board sucks."

"Oh," said Tails softly. "It was fine when I looked at it during the World Grand Prix. But Then again the Prix was three months ago. I'll take your word for it."

"Well, look who it is!" announced Jet, who was just returning with Storm. "It's Sonic the Hedgehog's little sidekick. Are you messing with my mechanic?"

"No, I just came to ask Wave where you were. I have a question to ask on behalf of Sonic."

"Sonic sent me his messenger? Huh! I'm not important enough for him to visit me in person? I'm very insulted and I don't want to listen to you."

"Jet," I warned, "you've made Storm and I play messenger many times. Don't be a brat and listen to what this shrimp has to say."

Tails continued. "Sonic wants to know if you're racing in the big race at Metropolis Speedway in two days."

"What?" questioned Jet. "There's a race coming up that I haven't heard about? No way! Tell me about it then."

"Well, it's this weekend. And it's not exactly a big race. It's an individual race, but the prize money can be split."

"Prize money?" gasped Jet, his eyes lit with greed. "How much are we talking?"

"Five grand. The race is on Saturday at ten in the morning. Sonic wants to know if you're going to be there because - and I quote - you are his only real competition."

"Oh, really? I'm flattered. I'll be there! So will the rest of my team, so be prepared for a challenge."

Tails looked at Cream questioningly. "Cream, what are you doing with them?"

"They're my team now."

Tails stood there gaping at her. "Wh-what?"

"Yep! Your little friend is a Babylon Rogue. You can take that news back to Sonic; I'm sure he'll be pleased."

Tails looked at Cream with mixture of awe, confusion, and anger. "I will," he said seriously as he rotated his tails and flew away.

"Well Jet," I said, "I have a feeling that you will be seeing Sonic personally when he hears of Cream joining us."

"I look forward to it," he chided. "Let's get to practicing, Cream. I want you in shape for that race. You too, Storm; come with us. Wave, go sign the for of us up for the race."

"Okay. Can I have my board back for a second, Cream?"

"And waste precious practicing time? No! You'll walk." Storm laughed lightly at Jet's blunt comment. "Actually, Metropolis Speedway is five miles away from here. Put Cream's board back together and take that to the Speedway.

"Jerk," I mumbled as I threw Cream's board back together. It took about five minutes, which was pretty quick even with the lack of complexity her board has.

I hopped on her board and drove to the Speedway. Her board was so slow! The most I ever got was sixty-five miles per hour, and that's with a boost! When I'm done with this baby it should go at least one sixty-five!

"Wave!" I heard someone yell. I skidded Cream's board to a halt. I just made it into Metropolis Speedway and someone was already disrupting my task. Great.

I turned around to find none other than Sonic the Hedgehog right on my tail. "Sonic?"

"Wave, is it true that Cream is on your team now?"

As pleased as I was that Jet's little side plan was working, I was angry that Sonic was bugging me about it. "Look, Sonic, why are you coming to me about this! Jet has the answers you want. But yes, Cream is with us, if that's all you want to know."

"No, that's not all I want to know! Tails told me that you were the one Cream was with. So, Wave, why do I have the feeling YOU have the answers I want?"

Man, he was good. "Sonic, this isn't a big deal. Cream came to us expressing interest to join the team. Jet saw her talent and decided to recruit her as an intern. That's all there is to it."

"Well that's fine and dandy Wave, but what about the thieving? Is she going to be a part of that?"

I stood my ground. "Yes. Cream knows what she's getting into. She signed up for this."

Sonic glared at me. For such a nice guy, he was being rather snarky with me. "I am not going to sit around while you Rogues corrupt Cream!"

"You can blame us all you want, but in the end, Cream chose this. Don't talk to me, talk to her!" I know Sonic means well, but he probably doesn't know Cream like I now do. "Cream wants to be a better racer. She'll do anything, even become part-time thief. The girl is dedicated, Sonic." I realized what I was saying and saw a deeper truth to it. Cream really is dedicated to racing if she's willing to become a thief, the very thing that killed her father.

"I don't believe you. Cream could have just come to me, or Tails even! She and Tails are close! Besides, she hardly knows you guys at all!"

"Well Sonic, maybe she thinks we're better! She admitted to me yesterday that she has been admiring us from afar. And you know what? I spoke to Vanilla, her mother, who happens to be okay with this. And if you're not, then oh well. You're not her dad, so stop acting like it."

Sonic glared at me, which allowed me to see the hurt in his eyes because of my comment. Cream chose us over him. Oh well. "Very well, Wave, but once Amy finds out she's going to be angrier than I am. She might even pay you guys a visit with her hammer."

"Eh, we can deal with her." Sonic shrugged and ran off, concluding a pointless confrontation. I got back on Cream's gear and rode to the sign up place.

Before signing the four of us up I checked out the names already on the list.

Sonic. Tails. Vector. Espio. Charmy. Rouge. I clenched my fists when I saw HER name. I don't like her, point blank. She's all talk and no show. I may be a trash talker but at least I have skills to back me up. That worthless, trashy bat is probably only in this for the money. Ha, no way she's gonna get it with the Rogues in the race! I laughed at her impudence and dashed back to Central Park.

When I returned, Jet was teaching Cream proper jump timing. When he noticed me, the three of them met up with me. "Did you see any of the names on that list?" Jet asked.

"Sonic and Tails, Vector, some people named Espio and Charmy, and... Rouge."

"What!" yelled Storm. "The red mutt wasn't on that list?"

"Heh," chuckled Jet. "Save for Sonic, that money is as good as ours. Unless those Espio or Charmy people are good."

"I know Espio and Charmy!" announced Cream. "Espio's kind of good, but not as good as you, Jet. Charmy, well, he has no idea how to ride an extreme gear at all."

"Alright then! No worries." Jet looked at me. "I guess we can go back to the airship. Cream's board looks like it needs a lot of work."

We decided to walk back to the airship, so I pulled Jet aside to inform him of today's events. "Guess who decided to grace me with his presence earlier?" Jet raised his eyebrows at me "Sonic."

"What did he want with you?"

"He had a bone to pick with me for putting Cream on the team. I told him to go talk to you, but that shrimp must have told Sonic that Cream was hanging around me because Sonic accused me of manipulating and corrupting her to be a theif!"

"What? Cream agreed to help out with the thieving. Sonic needs to butt out of her business! Who does he think he, her dad?"

I smiled. "I told him exactly that, and some other harsh things."

"Like?"

"That Cream came to us over him because she thinks we're better."

"Is that true?"

"Well, maybe. There has to be a reason she chose us over Sonic. I didn't really mean it, though. I just said that so he wouldn't bother us at the airship on some heroic feat to bring Cream back."

"Is he coming back? Because I don't want to deal with him!"

"Nope, but he warned me that his friend might pay us a visit when she finds out the Cream is here. I think he said her name was Amy? I don't know-"

"No! Not her! Ugh. That's Sonic's little stalker, the pink girl."

"Oh! Her." I crinkled my face in disgust.

"Wave, that's Cream's old team leader, remember?"

"Oh. Oh yeah! She'll probably try to get Cream back. I doubt she will."

"Really? You think Cream will deny her closest friend?"

"Well, when I was talking to Cream and her mother, Cream sounded extremely dedicated to learning how to race well. I think she'll do anything to improve her skills. That's what I told Sonic."

Jet stopped dead in his tracks. "Wave," he said in a faint whisper. "What if his whole thing is a set-up by Sonic? What if Cream is lying to us and is really living with us to learn our tricks and then teach them to Sonic?" He sounded seriously worried.

I laughed, which provoked a menacing glare from Jet. "Oh, Jet. You're supposed to put yourself in your enemy's shoes, not put the enemy in your shoes! Do you really think Sonic has the capability to pull something like that over on us? He's too good-hearted."

"You're right, Wave. I'm being paranoid."

We caught to Cream and Storm who were waiting for us at the door. They were talking about sparring, which seemed a little odd to me. Jet opened the airship and we all climbed in. After a quick meal, we all went our separate ways. Storm went to work out, I went to my workshop, and Jet went to his office right next door. Cream was headed to her room to take care of her chao or... whatever little girls do.

I got to work tuning the gear and took into account everything Sonic and Jet told me. Cream must be something special if they are fighting over her.

I heard footsteps enter Jet's office. My workshop doesn't have air conditioning so it shares a vent with Jet's office. As a result, I can hear everything that goes on on there.

"You wanted to see me privately, Jet?" asked Cream.

Wait, what? Why was Jet having a private chat with Cream? He didn't tell me about this earlier when we were talking!

I glanced at the air-vent. If a private chat with her is what he wants, he's not going to get it.


	5. The Past Will Set Us Free

"Cream, I wanted to ask you a few questions. Sit down." I turned a few screws absent-mindedly. It was hard upgrading this gear while I was so intently eavesdropping. "Why do you want to be a Rogue?"

"I'll tell you the same thing I told Wave. I really want to become a great racer. After I raced in the World Grand Prix with my best friend Amy, I knew racing was my calling. I can't even describe what it feels like to ride an extreme gear."

"Huh. Okay. That's all I wanted to know. You can go now." Really? That was it? Man, I was hoping for a little more action!

I heard a chair scoot. Cream was leaving. "Who's that, Jet?" she asked suddenly.

"That's my father, the previous leader of the Babylon Rogues."

"What happened to him?"

Jet produced a sad sigh. "He died almost seven years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I know how you feel."

"I'm pretty sure you don't," he countered aggressively.

It's hard to forget the day that Jet's father died; it was a big day for all of us. Babylonian tradition states that once a leader passes away the next generation must take over, so the day Jet's father died marks the day that Jet, Storm, and I became Rogues. I remember my father coming home with tons of bags, which was strange because he only came home once every year to visit. He went into my room said said bluntly: "Pack your things because you are moving into the airship tomorrow. My boss died today." I was only twelve years old. The next day I moved into the airship and met Jet and Storm. We hit if off well because we were all upset about leaving our homes, and Jet was upset about losing his father. Obviously, times have changed greatly since then.

"My dad is dead too, Jet," said Cream sadly.

I heard a slamming noise. "That doesn't mean you know how I feel! My dad died shamefully!"

I stifled a gasp out of fear of being heard. I haven't heard Jet talk about his father since the day we met, much less speak badly of him like he did just now.

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Cream. Although she meant well, that was a pretty daring move. This is Jet we are talking about, after all.

"You.. you care about what I have to say?"

"Yes," answered Cream. I stopped messing with Cream's gear altogether. I have a feeling I'll regret it if I miss a piece of what's to come.

"Well you should sit back down." Jet paused for Cream to take her seat. "My father was the previous leader of Babylon Rogues, along with Wave's father, Storm's mother, and another woman who did not have children. He and his team were getting low on cash, so they decided to be a little risky and rob a popular but rich store right on the edge of Leaf Forest. They failed and my father had to pay the price." Jet sighed.

"How is that shameful? He died doing his job."

"No, you don't understand, Cream. Babylon tradition states that a Rogue cannot take a life unless their own is in danger. My father may have been protecting his life, but the person he accidentally killed was an innocent bystander."

The room started to spin around me and I found myself on all fours. This was the first time I had heard the whole story behind Jet's father's death. Now that I am hearing it, it sounds awfully familiar to the story of Cream's father's death. In fact, they seem to mirror each other.

Oh no. No. The facts just pieced themselves together in my mind. I ran out of my workshop and into Jet's office. I was no longer acting on logic but on instinct. "Cream, Storm's calling you! He sounds mad!" I yelled.

"Oh no!" she cried. "I thought our sparring match was later!" She ran out of the room. When she did, I slammed the door shut, locked it, and slammed my back against the door. My face felt numb.

"Wave, what was that about.. a-are you crying?" Unbelievably, I brought my hand to my face. Sure enough, a warm tear was sliding down my beak. I was crying! I quickly wiped the tear away. "What's the matter?"

"Jet, I-I'm sorry, but I was eavesdropping on your conversation with Cream. I couldn't let the conversation continue."

Jet folded his arms. "Oh? That's rude. Why not?"

"I'm so sorry Jet. You're not going to like to hear this. You said before your father died, he accidentally shot someone. Was your father trying to shoot a police officer, but.."

"..shot someone else who was innocent? What are you getting at? What do you know? Wave, tell me!"

I took a deep breath. "Jet, last night, Cream told me how her father died. He was at a store when a robbery happened. The robber and the cop had a a shoot out and the robber misfired and hit and killed her father. Jet-"

"No," he said, clearly shaken by what I just said. "That's just a coincidence. My father didn't kill her father. That's ridiculous."

"Jet, the facts match up too well to be a coincidence. Cream's father died a few months before she was born. Cream is now six years and eight months old. Your father has been dead for almost seven years."

"Th-that doesn't prove anything!"

"You said your father was killed in a store in Leaf Forest. Cream lives in Lead Forest.."

Jet, for the first time ever, was listening to what I was saying and was regarding it as the truth. "Y-you're right! What should I do?"

"You have to tell her truth."

"I-I can't. I can't tell her! Can you?"

"Jet, you have to take responsibility and tell her. You are your father's legacy. You inherit everything from him, from his leadership position to his problems. You have to do this."

"Wave, I really can't! This sort of thing requires sensitivity, something that I don't have!" Jet sounded very desperate. He was right, though. He has absolutely no sensitivity.

"Fine. I'll tell her. But you're going to be next to me to accept whatever happens."

"Deal." He extended his hand and we shook on it. "You are a great friend, Wave."

"You say that when I do something great for you." I said as I got up. "Come on, let's go."

Cream's light was on and her door was shut, so I surmised that she was in her room. I knocked on the door politely and the door opened to reveal a scowling, bitter Cream. "You know, Wave, if you wanted to talk to Jet, you could have just asked. You didn't have to lie to me to get me to leave the office."

"S-sorry! Look, can we talk?"

"Um, sure, about what?"

I took that as my invitation to enter and sat on her floor. Jet followed and sat next to me. Cream, however, sat on her bed. "It's about your father."

Cream looked both confused and defensive. "What about him?"

"I think that your father and Jet's father knew each other."

"Oh really? That's great! But why do you look like something is bothering you?" Normally her childlike naïveté would lower the mood, but this time it did not.

"Your father and Jet's father died in the same place at the same time. I think-"

"But, Jet, your story... your dad died and accidentally killed a bystander." Cream's eyes went wide as she connected the dots. "No. There's no way."

"I'm sorry Cream. Wave and I discussed it and the facts add up too well for it to be just a coincidence," said Jet. I was glad he actually spoke up.

"Are you okay, Cream?"

Cream's body was in front of us, but her mind was elsewhere. Somehow, she still heard me and was able to answer my question in the most mystical way. "Yes, Wave. I'm fine. Jet's father didn't intend to kill mine. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Besides, I can't be mad at Jet. It's not his fault. It's his father's. Even so, being a Rogue myself, I know that we are forced into a life of thievery."

"So Cream, how about we forget the past and look towards the future?" asked Jet boldly.

"Yes. I'd like that."

I can't believe this. Even after what Jet just admitted to Cream, she's not mad! I mean, is this girl incapable of anger? I truly believe so.

"You do know we have another raid planned for tomorrow, right? Are you still game for it?"

"Of course!" said Cream. "It's not like you guys are planning on killing anyone." She lowered her voice. "I bet you guys don't even know how to use guns."

"What?" snapped Jet. "I'll have you know... I have no idea how to fire a gun."

"Mmkay well I have a sparring session with Storm, so I'll see you guys later." She skipped out of her room.

"Well, looks like she fooled me. I guess she does have what it takes to be one of us. She's tough." I whispered to Jet who was still sitting by my side.

"I think sparring with Storm is a little extreme, though."

"Eh, it's not my problem. I have a board to fix. See ya."


	6. Wilted Roses

Sonic the Hedgehog knew that something was wrong. Of course, speed was his thing - not intuition - but Sonic was smart enough to know that Cream must be out of her mind to join the Babylon Rogues. He tried to pry some information from Jet's right-hand woman. His confrontation with Wave earlier that day taught him nothing other than the fact that the sparrow had outstanding lying capabilities.

Sonic knew it would be pointless to reason with Jet because he's, well, Jet. He only wanted to talk money, racing and glory; not a little girl's future. However, Sonic knew a female who could reason with Jet. This girl was sure to hit hard.

He found himself at the doorstep of Amy Rose. All these years of being chased by her, and now it was him coming after her. It's funny how fate works out sometimes. The hedgehog opened the door and her face brightened when she realized who it was.

"Sonic! What are you doing here?"

"Amy, I need you do something for me. Well, not for me, for a friend."

Amy blinked back her surprise. Sonic needed her help? Sonic usually took care of things on his own, or asked Tails for help. "What is it?"

"I think you should go talk to Cream."

"Why? Where is she?"

"She's on the Babylon Rogues airship. She joined their team, apparently. I guess they tricked her or something. Or maybe she chose it. Who knows at this point. Can you talk some sense into her?"

Amy growled. She was not going to let those rowdy birds taint her best friend. She hated the Rogues, especially Jet. He had always insisted he was better than Sonic. Nobody is better than Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog, HER Sonic. "Leave it to me," she hissed as she summoned her trademark hammer.

Sonic cracked a smile. He knew Amy wouldn't let him down, or Cream for that matter. He was going to save Cream from the Rogues. Sonic never leaves a friend behind.

Meanwhile...

I turned the last bolt, laid down my wrench, and admired my masterpiece. I spent a grand total of six and a half hours working on Cream's board. All of that time was worth it; her board looked amazing. Now all I have to test it and-

"Hey Wave, get in here!" Jet called from the next room. I heard him page Cream and Storm as well.

"Hm?" I asked as I rushed into his office. "Make it quick because I have a board to test."

Storm and Cream came in as well, panting. They must have had great sparring session. Strange, I figured their sparring session would be a catastrophe considering the major differences in size.

"What... is it... Boss?" asked Storm through sharp breaths.

"We have to start planing for tomorrow's heist. By planning, I mean listening to Wave as she talks about her plan. That is, if she doesn't out is all to sleep." I felt everyone's eyes on me.

"What? I don't have a plan yet! I've been busy all day working on Cream's gear for the race!"

"The heist is tomorrow, and the race is the day after!" yelled Jet. "Priorities, Wave!"

Before I could argue my case, a loud boom echoed through the airship, making us all jump. "What was that?" asked Cream.

Jet stood up, very suspicious. "Storm, go investigate."

"B-but Boss, it c-could be anything!"

"Fine, you big baby, I'll investigate!" I yelled, grabbing my wrench from my pocket. I left the office and slowly walked though the halls, analyzing anything that seemed out of the ordinary. BOOM! I jumped again, bur his time I knew where the sounds were coming from.

I ran to the airship's lobby and saw two huge dents in the front door. Somebody was trying to break in! I gripped my wrench tighter and moved in to open the door. The damaged door opened to reveal a small pink hedgehog with a huge hammer. It was Amy Rose, Cream's best friend. I prepared myself to unleash my fury in her. "You idiot! You could have just rang the doorbell! Now you have to pay for damages!"

Amy glared at me. "Where's Cream? I want to see her!"

"Come inside," I offered. The second she stepped inside I shut the door and tackled her. I didn't trust her; I wasn't going to let her walk freely.

"Let me go or I'll use my hammer on you!"

I laughed at her empty threat. "What hammer, the one you dropped? The one I'm now holding?"

The pathetic girl glanced at me and scowled. "Just take me to Cream." I pulled her up with her wrists pinned behind her and placed her hammer securely into crook of my elbow. She was not going to pull one over on me!

"Don't struggle or you'll be the one getting hit." I marched Amy prisoner-style back to Jet's office. My hands being occupied, I kicked the door open, threw Amy into the room and tossed her hammer to Jet. Amy distanced herself from all of us in the corner of the office.

"A-Amy!" Cream squealed.

Amy looked at Cream angrily. "Come on Cream, I'm bringing you home."

"What are you, some kind of rescue party? Cream's free to leave whenever she wants. She doesn't need you," said Jet proudly.

"Oh really? I don't believe you! Her mother's probably worried sick."

"Actually, Vanilla knows that she's here," I added.

"Amy, stop." Cream stood up from her chair and crossed her arms angrily.

"Wh-what?" uttered Amy, shocked. I suppose she's never seen Cream's assertive side before.

"Please stop. I know you care about me, and I care about you. You're my best friend. But, I'm with the Babylon Rogues now. They're helping me improve my racing skills."

"But Cream, Sonic would have taught you how to race. Why'd you have to come with these guys? They're mean!" I scoffed at her last comment.

"Amy, no offense, but Jet's a better racer than Mister Sonic. If I wanted to learn how to run better, I would have come to Mister Sonic. But I want to race, so I'm here with Jet."

"Cream, you are betraying Sonic! These are his enemies you are joining!" Amy shrieked. She looked away from Cream momentarily then looked back with sadness in here eyes. "If you betray Sonic, you betray me."

"I haven't betrayed anyone! I'm still loyal to you! The Babylon's are a team of three. And me and you, we're Team Rose? Right?"

"I suppose," Amy mumbled. "I just don't want you turning into them."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" barked Storm.

That heated her up again. Amy glared at Storm. "It means that I don't like you. All of you are mean, rude, and greedy. Cream's not; she's the exact opposite. I don't even know what she sees in you guys besides racing skills!"

"Well, Miss Amy, your argument is flawed," I said. I was calling her out for insulting us. Nobody insults the Babylon Rogues in front of me unless they are a Babylon Rogue. "You just assume that since Cream is hanging around us, she's going to turn into us. You don't think Cream's stronger than that? And who's to say that we won't turn into her. I guess you didn't factor THAT into your equation."

"Are you getting smart with me?" asked Amy with a clear edge to her voice.

"Why yes, I was. Glad you're smart enough to notice."

"Oh, that's it! Where's my hammer? Amy charged to Jet's desk to grab her hammer. Jet stood up and grabbed her.

"Let me go or I'll get Sonic in here!"

"Will you calm down?" screamed Jet, causing us all to freeze. He then looked at Amy. "You are not using this hammer in my airship. I'm sick of listening to your stupid girlish arguments. You and Cream need to sort things out in this office. I'm out of here; come on Storm." Jet stormed out with Storm on his tail. He handed me the hammer before walking out. He leaned in and whispered to me: "Stay here. I don't trust Amy, and I don't trust Cream enough to leave her alone with Amy."

After they left, an uncomfortable silence filled the room. Amy and Cream looked at me as if I was an outcast.

"Get out of here, Wave," snapped Amy.

"This is my house, I can do what I please. Besides, I'm supposed to preside while you two talk it out. I'm not hearing any talking!"

"Ugh fine." Amy turned to Cream. "Cream, what are you doing? You don't belong here. You don't fit in."

"So what? It's just like Wave said earlier: I rub off on them and they rub off on me."

"What if they hurt you?"

"Amy, I'm almost seven years old. I can take care if myself. Besides, I can walk out whenever I want."

"But I'm worried about you!"

"Sorry, Amy. Nothing you can say will get me to leave. I appreciate your concern, but you're not my mother."

Amy gazed at Cream for a few painful moments. "Fine. Looks like they're already rubbing off on you." She paused as she realized the harshness of what she just said. "I heard you were racing at the race this Saturday. See you then."

"Are you racing too?" asked Cream. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

"Nope, but I'm going to watch Sonic. He's a really talented racer. And unlike you, he doesn't need to be in the shadow of some hot-headed big-shot. He has natural talent."

Cream started to cry. I swung the door open. "Amy, get out."

"Give me my hammer." I hummed the hammer at her, shoved her out of the office, and slammed the door in her face. Good riddance.

I walked over to Cream, who by this point was sitting on the floor bawling. Normally I love tears, especially if I caused them. This time, however, was different. "Cream, are you okay?"

"Amy's right. I should just quit now!"

"Cream, don't say things like that," I scolded.

"You heard what she said! I have no natural talent! And without natural talent, you won't get anywhere!"

I sighed. "Talent doesn't exist."

Cream sniffed and looked at me dazedly. "What?"

"Talent is a myth. Well, natural talent, anyway. You can't just be good at something. You have to work hard for it."

"But you guys make gear riding look so easy!"

"Yeah, because we've all been riding them since the day we were born! I got my first training gear at my mother's baby shower!"

"Yeah, okay. Uh, you're really smart. That's a talent."

She had me there. But I wasn't going to let her win that easily. I never let an argument get away from me unless I'm winning. "Do you think I was just born knowing how to tune an extreme gear? I had to read, practice, fail, and repeat."

"I bet if I went into your workshop and read one of your technical books, it would be like a foreign language to me. If you read it, it would make perfect sense," said a very disheartened Cream.

"But your six and I'm eighteen. I've had years of reading those books!" Cream sniffed and turned away from me.

I was officially done. My patience was already worn thin by that annoying pink hedgehog, and Cream just killed it with her nonsensical arguing. "You know what? There's no point in arguing with you. At least with Jet, his replies are somewhat intelligent and keep me provoked. But you, no. You want to sit here and mope because of what Amy said? Fine. Let that hold you back. Just don't drag me down with you."

I trudged out of Jet's office and into my workshop. I could hear Cream start to cry again, much to my annoyance. I shut the door and sat against it, mentally and physically exhausted.

"Harsh, Wave." My senses caused me to jolt back up, despite the familiarity of the voice. "Though I do commend you for implying that I am intelligent."

"You were listening the whole time? I thought you went with Storm?" We were whispering in case Cream could hear us next door despite her maniacal sobbing.

"I did," said Jet, revealing himself. Storm was right behind him. "We came in here as your backup."

I crossed my arms, offended. "You didn't think I could handle that pink brat? I did take her down earlier!"

"Well, you did get beat by Cream yesterday," pointed out Storm.

I ignored his comment. "Did you guys see the damage done to the front door?"

Jet's left eye twitched slightly. "I guess I'll have to check that out later," he said with a strained voice.

There was nothing left to say. I wanted to go finish the work on Cream's board, but Jet and Storm did not leave. "I'm going to finished the board, if you guys don't mind."

"Considering you could have spent the time making a worthwhile plan for our heist, I sure hope you did a good job on this board," Jet commented unnecessarily as he and Storm quietly moved into an unoccupied corner of my workshop. My workshop is very small, but somehow we all fit. I hooked her machine up to various wires and boxes. "While you guys are over there, someone flip the monitor on." The plasma screen I had lit up blue. I pressed a few more buttons and the screen instantly turned into a monitor, showing a virtual rendition of Cream's board.

"Woah, how are you doing that Wave?" asked Storm.

"Technology," I muttered. "Stand back and watch." I hopped on Cream's board and pretended to ride it. It made all of the jolts and sounds as if I were actually riding it. Numbers were flooding on the screen as I did so. Jet and Storm stared at he screen, not understanding the pool of numbers that were as clear as day to me.

I dismounted the board and looked at the numbers. I clamped my hands together excitedly. "Perfect! These stats are just what I aimed for!"

Storm started to clap. "Good job, whatever you did," said Storm rather awkwardly. I pushed more buttons and split the monitor in half. They both displayed the stats of Cream's board; the left side before the upgrade and the right side after the upgrade.

"These are comparison's of Cream's gear statistics before and after I upgraded it. As you can see, the top speed changed from seventy-five miles per hour to one fifty-five miles per hour. The acceleration changed from three meters per second to five meters per second."

"English please?" remarked Jet.

"The board can go faster than before, and can become faster, faster," I said in a baby voice.

"Makes sense to me!" announced Storm happily.

"The boost has been amplified," I noted, "along with an increase in turn proficiency. I put extra sensitive brakes on here as well. Basically it's a slower and safer version of my board. I call it the Type-C."

"Well isn't that sweet," remarked Jet. He then gave a dramatic yawn. "I'm outta here." Jet promptly left followed by his loyal pet, Storm. I unhooked Cream's board and picked it up. I wanted to show it to her. Hopefully she's calmed down by now. The absence of crying told me that she was no longer in Jet's office, so I figured that Cream could be found in her room."

I knocked on her door. Cream slowly opened it and looked surprised when she saw that it was me.

"I'm done with your board," I said.

"Thanks. Wave, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Are you mad at me?"

"Should I be?"

"You know, about what happened earlier?"

"Oh, that?" I waved my hand dismissively. "That's over and done with."

"But you sounded so angry earlier."

"Get used to it," I answered simply. "It happens all of the time with Jet and Storm."

"What the ****!" I heard Jet yell from the lobby. I smiled. I'll bet I know what's got him bent out of shape. I placed Cream's board against the wall and made my way to the lobby.

Sure enough, Jet was standing in front of door inspecting the damage. "Amy's going to pay for this," he muttered when he heard me approach him. "How much will it cost to fix this?"

"A few swings of a mallet should do it," I said. "But she doesn't have to know that."

Jet smiled at me. "I like the way you think."


	7. Dark Dealing

It was around three in the afternoon and the four of us were seated in Jet's office in a circle. Well, sort of. It was more like all of us were seated in a circle around Jet.

"So, as you all know, our heist is planned for tonight. We were supposed to plan for this yesterday but somebody's bratty pink friend had to ruin that," said Jet, giving Cream an annoyed look.

"Sorry," she squeaked.

Jet continued. "Whatever. We need a plan. Wave? Please tell me you thought of something."

I let out a huge smile. "Actually, I thought of an idea last night."

"Ooh, I love when Wave has an idea!" Storm interjected. "It had better be good."

"Well guys," I started, "we're running low on food. So I think we should pay a little 'visit' to the grocery store."

"Stealing food? Really, Wave?" yelled Jet.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jet," I remarked sarcastically, "let's go to the technology store and steal a high-def TV! Maybe then we can watch movies to keep our minds off of the starvation we'll be going through if you don't win that race tomorrow!"

"Just get on with the plan," Jet grumbled.

"As I was saying, we really need food. And if we pull this off, we'll have food. Good food. All of our favorites."

"Like pancakes?" asked Storm with a child-like wonder.

"Sure. Now, I shall briefly go over my idea. Maybe it will turn into a plan. Well, team, we have a new asset today that we did not have two days ago. Cream."

I paused to look at everyone's reactions. Jet looked bored, Storm looked confused, and Cream looked worried. "I think that we could manipulate Cream's cuteness to get what we want easily. We could use her as a distraction."

Jet slammed his hand on his desk. "Are you kidding me? We used a distraction last time and we failed!"

"True, but Cream possesses a cute factor that Storm and I lack."

"What!" yelled Storm. "I've got plenty of cuteness." The whole room erupted into laughter. Storm became upset by this, as if he honestly thought that he was cute. As the laughter faded from the room, his frown remained.

"I have an idea!" yelled Jet out of nowhere. "How about Wave and Cream pretend to go shopping, and Cream will pretend to faint. Wave will then cause a huge scene. Meanwhile, Storm and I get what we need and make a run for it when the distraction happens. It's just like Wave's old plan, except we now have a buddy system in case some bystanders try to be the hero and get involved by strangling us."

"Or splitting our beaks," I added.

"Or tackling us," said Storm.

"Wow, you guys really are bad at this stealing stuff if all of that happened! I thought the only thing bad that happened to you was Jet dropping the money," said Cream.

None of us responded to that for sake of pride.

"That sounds like a good plan, Jet," I said honestly.

"Yeah, good job, Boss."

Jet smiled smugly. "So how about eight o' clock tonight? That's when it starts to get dark."

"Sounds good," I answered. "Cream, will you be able to fake passing out? And make it look believable?"

Cream began to cough a cutesy little cough. Gradually, the coughing became sickeningly violent and Cream grabbed her stomach and flopped into floor. She laid there for a few seconds until hopping up and asking excitedly, "How was that?"

"Woah, I though you were really dying or something," said Storm.

"Yeah, yeah, that was good. So Wave, you're going to cause a scene. We all know you can do that because you are our resident drama queen. And-"

"I am not a drama queen!" I screeched.

"Yeah, okay, and I'm not the leader."

"Only by title."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I rose from my chair angrily.

"You're only leader by title. I'm usually the one taking charge around here! I think-"

"-that I need to learn responsibility and all that. Not this again! Wave, I've heard this speech thousands of times!"

I stood up. "Okay, okay. Just don't drop the goods this time, butterfingers," I sneered as I exited the room.

"Butterfingers? That's new!" called Jet as I walked the halls. I ignored him and went straight to my room. I plopped on my bed and rubbed my temples; dealing with Jet is a hectic job.

I heard a soft knock at my door. I have a feeling it's Cream, who I don't feel like dealing with right now. "Make it quick," I whispered harshly as I got up to open the door. It was indeed Cream, and she was standing there with a pen and paper in her hands.

"Jet wants you to make a list of the things he and Storm need to get."

I snatched the items from her. "I saw this coming," I muttered under my breath. Cream, detecting my negative mood. quickly left my sight.

Man, good thing I suggested we steal food. When I got to the kitchen, I counted what we food we do have. As it turns out, we have nothing but an apple, a box of granola bars, and some cheesecake (not counting that it was spoiled).

"Need help?" asked Cream from behind me, causing me to jump and drop the tainted cheesecake that I was previously inspecting. I though I scared her away a few minutes ago.

"With what?" I snapped.

"You don't look like the kind of person who knows a lot about grocery shopping."

"Actually," I admitted, "I don't. The guys and I usually pick up whatever looks good when we see it."

"Maybe if you did a little planning, you wouldn't waste food," she said, pointing to the moldy cheesecake on the floor.

Planning meals? I don't have time for trivial things like that. I'm a mechanic for crying out loud! Shouldn't Storm do these kinds of things? "Cream, I don't have time!"

She scoffed at me. "It's not time-consuming if you don't want it to be. Just don't buy food that goes bad easily, like dairy. Even with a refrigerator, dairy only lasts a week or two after it's been opened."

"Um, okay. No dairy. Got it." It just dawned on me that a six year old is the one telling me all of his. My mother would be so proud.

Cream giggled and looked around. "You guys don't cook, but you have a freezer and microwave. Just buy a bunch of TV dinners. Those will last you a while!"

"That's a great idea. I'll put that on the list." I wrote it down, leaving Jet a note to grab a lot of them.

"We also need Chao feed."

I paused. I haven't seen Cheese around in a while. "I thought you left your pet at your house with your mother."

"Oh... I did." Cream smiled, thought it was apparent she was hiding her pain. "Old habits die hard. I've never ever been away from Mama or Cheese for so long."

"Don't look so down about it. Today is Friday, and you can visit them on Sunday."

Cream shrugged. "You're right." She hesitated for a moment before asking me another question. "Wave?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you steal from stores that are open? Wouldn't it be easier to steal from them when they're closed?"

I'm still not used to having Cream around. Children ask the most random questions. "We do steal from closed stores- those are the easiest. But certain stores we like to hit are open 24-hours, so we don't have much of a choice. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if you guys whether you guys were being really bold are really stupid.

I crossed my arms. "The Babylon Rogues aren't stupid with me on the team."

"Then I guess you guys are really bold."

"Welcome to the world of Rogue-hood." I handed her the completed list of food.

"Lots of TV dinners, water, cereal, and pancake mix for Storm." said Cream, reading the list back to me. "That's it?"

"Well, yeah. We're not picky eaters." I was starting to get annoyed with Cream. I'm a very busy sparrow. What my team and I eat are the least of my concerns.

"Okay then. I'll take this list to Jet." I exhaled in relief as Cream left the room. I stole a glance at the clock on the microwave: four thirty. Three and half hours until we leave. I decided to take a little nap in my bedroom.

I woke up three hours later, just like I had planned. I feel great and confident; there's no way we are goof to fail this time.

I practically ran to Jet's office, where he was taking a little snooze as well. My excitement woke him up, which he wasn't pleased about at all. "What'd you do that for?" he yelled.

"It's seven thirty," I said with a yawn. "Time to start preparing."

"Oh. Go get Cream and Storm. I'll just rest my eyes for a moment."

I opened the office door and took a sharp breath. "Storm! Cream! Come on!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I heard Jet grumble from behind me.

"Do you have to be so loud?"

"Yes," I said casually as I plopped into one of the dull brown leather office chairs.

"Need us, Boss?" asked Storm, speaking for Cream as well as himself.

"Mhm. We're about to leave for our stealing spree. The plan, once again, is that we take the stuff me need, Wave and Cream cause a distraction, then we skid-addle. Sounds easy enough?"

Storm nodded in approval as I remembered the walkie-talkie I wanted to give Jet. I tossed it on his desk.

"What's this for?" he asked, looking at me quizzically.

"How else am I supposed to know when you have everything you need at he store! I'm not telepathic!"

"No need to get smart with me," he hissed. Silence filled the room like a disease after that comment. The way Jet said that was cold. Even for Jet.

"What if we get caught?" Cream decided to break the silence with this taboo question. "What do we do?"

"What kind of question is that? We're not going to get caught!" said Jet with a bitter edge to his voice.

"Better safe than sorry," mumbled Cream.

"We don't live by that rule."

"But what if we do get caught?"

Jet slammed his fists down on the desk, hard. "Shut up! Enough if that! We won't get caught! If we so happen to, we'll just busy out! It can't be that hard!"

Jet was screaming pretty loudly; Cream must have really ticked him off. I was expecting Cream to cry, but uncharacteristically she held her ground. She sat there, unmoving, in stunned silence.

"Anyway!" I yelled happily to stop this from going further. "I think this plan is almost foolproof. We'll be fine!"

More sickening silence followed. What is with Jet tonight? He seems angrier than usual, which is really saying something considering how harsh his usual demeanor is. I wonder if puberty is taking it's toll on him. Oh goodness.

"Are we going to get pancakes?" announced Storm suddenly.

"I put it on the list," I said.

"Alright!" cheered Storm happily. I swear, the smallest things amuse that bird.

"Okay, can we go now?" asked Jet impatiently. "I'm tired of sitting around like this."

"What's wrong with you, Boss?" asked Storm.

"I have a bad feeling about tonight," Jet answered simply.

"Aw, c'mon, Jet! It's just a feeling! We'll be fine!" I reassured him. "It's not like you to act like this."

"Circumstances are different this time," he said with a quick look to Cream. "What if Sonic-"

"What, do you think he's going to try and stop up us? He hasn't before!"

"That's because we didn't have one of his little friends in tow."

"So what if he comes! You don't think you can take him?"

"Well, there's no telling, I mean-"

"Jet, seriously? You're doubting that you can take Sonic? You, the most cocky person I know, having doubts? I can't believe this."

"Hey! It's not like that! I just-"

"I don't care!" I snapped. After the tensions in the room started to simmer down, I spoke again. "I believe in you Jet, and I thought you believed in yourself to."

"You believe in me?" he asked me incredulously. "You?"

"Well duh! You're the leader! What good is a team that doesn't have faith in their leader?"

Jet stood up with a smile. It wasn't a happy smile, it was more of a devious smile. That smug look told me one thing: Jet was back. "Let's go, team!"

Jet and I had previously agreed to let Cream ride with me since she was still an amateur, so I knew that I was goof to have a little more weight than normal. I must exercise extra caution.

Jet and Storm hopped out of the window with their boards, leaving me with my board and a very confused rabbit.

"Where's my board?"

"You're riding with me, kiddo!" I grabbed Cream and my bakes and jumped out of the window. I skillfully jumped on my board and guided Cream's feet to land on it as well.

Jet and Storm were a little farther ahead than us so I activated my board's thrust to catch up with them. I felt my adrenaline levels rise as the wind blew against my face and the orange sunrise grew smaller and smaller as I rapidly neared the ground.

I caught up with my teammates just as they were making contact with the ground. I dipped my board to match the incline of the round for a very graceful and skillful landing. I was right behind Jet and Storm as we coasted through the town to our store of choice: the local Super Market. We all laid our boards right by the entrance so that we could easily grab them and go.

"You guys go in first. We can't be seen together or else we'll arouse suspicion," I whispered. Jet nodded and entered the store with Storm.

I grabbed Cream and pretended to lecture her. People just passed us by, assuming that we were just a typical mother and daughter grocery shopping on a Friday night. Good, that's just what I want.

"Alright, let's go, Cream." I grabbed her wrist and we walked into the store. It was very crowded, which was both a plus and a minus. More people to distract, but more people to stop Jet and Storm. I hovered around the checkouts, where the crowds were be heaviest. I idly checked out the items this store had to offer though I have absolutely no interest in them at all. It's just part of the act, obviously.

I felt the walkie-talkie vibrate softly in my pocket as the sound waves passed through the fabric to my ears. "Ready to go, Wave," the device said, in the form of Jet's voice.

"Showtime," I whispered to Cream.

The girl flashed me a sweet smile that had a hint of Jet's cockiness. Then she erupted into a loud wave of coughing that instantly got everyone's attention.

"Sweetie, are you okay!" I yelled frantically. Cream simply looked up at me with tears in her eyes. I heard whispers in the crowd. Cream's eyes rolled back and she fell into the floor with a weak thud. Her coughing subsided. By now, people were rushing towards us. I had the visual distraction set. Now for the audio...

"Oh my goodness! I don't think she's breathing! My baby! Somebody help her!" I went into hysterics, shaking Cream gently and begging her to get up.

"Somebody call an ambulance for that poor girl!" yelled an onlooker. I felt my pockets vibrate again. I knew Jet and Storm had made it out.

"Don't call the ambulance! She's having an asthma attack! Her inhaler is in the car." I picked up Cream and ran towards the exit.

"That doesn't sound like asthma!" yelled someone on the way out.

"It's the rare kind," I snapped as I ran out. I grabbed my board and sped towards an empty part of the parking lot. Once I was sure nobody was watching I put Cream on the back of my board rode away. I took a less crowded route so I could fly back to the airship undetected.

With my heart pounding and gear roaring at top speeds, I took to the skies and made my way back to the place I called home.

I glided through the open window and dropped down into Jet's office. I forgot that I had Cream as a passenger, so when I landed I put my board into my arms, causing poor Cream to fall off. The fall didn't hurt her, as she pulled herself off of the ground with ease. She scowled at me while doing so.

"Cream, you were great!" I enthused as I closed the window in Jet's office. "Jet and Storm are probably in the kitchen. Let's go!"

We ran to the kitchen excitedly to see Jet and Storm chatting. Among them were bags of groceries. We succeeded!

"Hey, superstars!" said Jet. "That was brilliant! Wave, you're scary as a mother."

I paid no mind to his comment. Instead, I dug through the groceries to make sure the boys got everything.

"I don't believe this," I muttered. "You guys got everything... and more!"

"We should celebrate!" said Storm. He grabbed once of the bags I was holding and pulled out some pancake mix and maple syrup. "Now, who knows how to make pancakes?"

Storm looked at me expectantly. "What? I don't cook!" I said.

"I-I just thought, you know, cause you're a girl and all-"

"That's sexist, Storm! Honesty, do you really think all girls can cook? You idiot."

Cream walked up to Storm and grabbed the pancake supplies. "You guys are so pitiful. I'll make the pancakes."

Earlier that day...

Amy Rose, still down-hearted from her fight with Cream the day before, made her way towards Tails' workshop in Mystic Ruins. She needed to talk to Sonic, more than ever.

"Amy? What are you doing here?" asked Tails, surprised to see Sonic's number one fan at his doorstep. "If you want to propose to Sonic, I'm not letting you in."

"So Sonic's here?"

"...maybe."

"I need to talk to him. It's about Cream." At the rabbit's mention, Tails opened the door and called for the blue hero.

Sonic ran down to meet the pair as quick as a flash. "Hey Amy, what's up?" he asked with his usual charm.

"I talked to Cream yesterday."

"Did you talk some sense into her?" asked Sonic.

"No. She wants to train with he Rogues. I'm not happy about that at all! What if they corrupt her? Cream's like my little sister!"

"I saw Cream with Wave yesterday," said Tails. "She seemed very happy."

Sonic sighed. "There's not much we can do. As much as I don't like Cream being with them, if she really wants to train with them, we should allow her to. She is our friend, you know. We should back off."

"But Sonic! What if they do something bad to her! You really trust Jet and... Wave with her?" She said Wave's name like it had a bad taste.

"It's nothing to be concerned about," said Sonic. Tails nodded in agreement. "She'll be okay, Amy. I doubt Jet and his crew will hurt her and if they do, they'll have to answer to me.

"I can't believe you're going to abandon Cream like this!"

"Cream's fine, Amy. Tails said that she seemed happy. And isn't her being happy what you want?"

The pink hedgehog glared at Sonic, her face so fused from anger that it now matches her fur. "I never though you'd let me down like this, Sonic," she said sadly. She opened the door and rushed out.

"I wish she wasn't so stubborn. She could see my point." Sonic muttered. He looked out of the window to watch the now- retreating hedgehog's form. "I just hope she's not too mad at me. I'd hate to make a friend mad."

Later that day...

Amy Rose knew that she was nearing the point of desperation by resorting to this, but she didn't care. She do anything for a friend. It was one of her most admirable traits. She took in a deep breath and knocked on the smooth red doors of a rather upscale apartment.

"Well, look who it is. I never thought I'd see you around these parts of town. What do you want?" crooned a seductive voice.

"I have a favor to ask of you, Rouge."

"A favor? My, aren't you bold!" Rouge held the door open wider, allowing the preteen girl to enter. Maybe she had something worthwhile to say. Amy entered the luxurious apartment and sat down with Rouge on her black leather couch.

"I want you to steal some jewels tonight," said Amy bluntly.

"Asking me to do my job, eh? Can I keep the jewels?"

"Sure."

The bat raised her made-over eyelashes in question. "What's the catch, Pinky?"

"I want you to frame someone."

"Ah, I see. Well, I usually steal jewels on a whim, so this little request of your might fall through."

"You'll benefit as well."

"Oh? I'm all ears, then."

"It will give you one less competitor in the race tomorrow, raising your chances if winning."

"I like the sound of that. So, who do you want me to frame?"

"Wave the Swallow the Babylon Rogues," said Amy with an unpleasant tone.

Rouge smiled in evil delight. "Her? Gladly. She's been on her high horse for too long. Let's knock her down."

A pink hand clenched a tan one, shaking and securing the deal.

"The Babylon Rogues will be leaving their airship sometime tonight. There will be an open window you can enter," said Amy, rising from the couch.

"Noted," said Rouge as she got up to open the door for Amy. "Someone's been doing their research. Out of curiosity, Pinky, why are you doing this? You hate that bird as much as I do?"

"I'm setting my friend free," whispered the pink hedgehog mysteriously as she exited the apartment. Rouge stood in wonder wondering what Amy meant by that.

Even later that day...

"Who else thinks Cream should be our permanent cook?" asked Jet as he stuffed a forkful of pancakes into his mouth. Storm simply nodded in agreement as he ate an even bigger forkful of pancakes.

"Cream, you are quite the cook," I complimented. The four of us were eating the pancakes in the lobby while listening to the nine o' clock news. We don't typically watch the news; there is just nothing better to do.

"Breaking news!" said the announcer. "An estimated one hundred thousand dollars worth of diamonds has been stolen from a prestigious Jewelry store in Station Square."

"One hundred thousand?" said Jet. "Okay gang, for our next heist we're going there!" We all laughed weakly, waiting for the rest of the announcement.

"Authorities have a major lead on the suspect thanks to the security cameras out in place," the announcer continued. A screenshot from the footage showed a figure with a covered face and torso fleeing with an armful of diamonds.

"Oh my gosh, it looks like Wave!" yelled Cream. I took a closer like and saw the figure was wearing my gloves, pants, and boots.

"The robbery happened around eight thirty this evening," added the amounted before another topic took over.

"That's a strange coincidence," I said, my voice lined with shock. Someone, I really didn't agree with what I just said. "They have my clothes."

"So they had the same outfit as you. So what? You didn't steal those diamonds. Though, I wish you did. One hundred grand!" yelled Jet.

"Heh. You're right," I said as I enjoyed another bite of Cream's pancakes. If only we stole some butter, too.

There was a knock at the door. It was probably another telemarketer. They tend to bother us at night quite often. All eyes went to Storm. He grumbled a bit before shuffling over to the door. I took another bite of the delicious pancakes.

"Yeah?" called Storm when he opened the door.

"Is this the residence of the Babylon Rogues?" asked a burly voice.

"Yeah, why?" said Storm. "Are you a telemarketer?"

"No, we are the Downtown Station Square Police Department. We have an arrest warrant for one Wave the Swallow."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Heh. An Author's note. I rarely ever do these. First off, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. I know it's not as popular as my Silvaze story, but I still value this story. I was planning on making the next chapter the last chapter, but I'm not ready to part with this story. That's why I added Rouge into the plot So expect a few more chapters. I really hope I'm getting everyone in character. I tried to make Cream ask a lot of random questions to make her seem childlike. I don't know, it all depends on what you guys think. The aim of the author is to please his or her readers. So, to reiterate, thanks for reading, and enjoy the chapters to come. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to leave a review or PM me._

_Oh, I read somewhere that Storm's favorite things are Jet and pancakes. That's why there's so much emphasis on the pancakes, if you are curious._


	8. Miss Taken

"What?" I yelled. "For what reason?" My mind flashed back to the announcement of the robbery five minutes ago. There's no way that this was happening. I began to calculate the odds of them suspecting me in my head.

I was unable to calculate anything because the police tore me from my thoughts. "That's her! Get her!" Before the police could do anything, Jet and Storm jumped in front of me. Now, I know we're teammates and this is expected of them, but it's nice to know those two have my back, especially in a situation like this.

"For what reason?" I asked again behind my wall of teammates.

"You are the main suspect of a robbery downtown."

"What? Because the person in the security footage was wearing my clothes! That proves nothing! I'm being framed!"

"It's curious that you would know that," said an officer suspiciously.

"It was just on the news!" I spat.

"There was also a purple feather found at the scene. We're going to test for a match."

"You guys can't just barge in here and arrest my teammate," snarled Jet. "Besides, she's been with us all evening."

"Yeah? I'll bet all of you are accomplices, but as of right now Wave is the only person we can legally arrest. Oh, and we also have a search warrant issued to search this, erhm, vehicle for the missing jewels."

"You're not gonna take Wave without a fight," said Storm as he pounded his fists together. Aw, that would warm my heart if I had one.

"Assault on an officer is a minimum of six months in jail and a fine of ten thousand dollars, need I remind you. Also, we have tazers an pistols. You two birds don't stand a chance."

Storm and Jet didn't move, but I sensed that they were conflicted on what they should do. I had to step up.

"Just arrest me," I said, throwing my hands into the air and stepping around the manmade wall.

"Wave? What are you doing!" Jet hissed. Storm just stared at me.

"Avoiding 'resisting arrest' being added to the charges. I'll get this sorted out. Don't worry! I'll be back soon," I said reassuringly.

"Wave! We need you for the race!" called Cream.

"I'll be back by then, I hope." The officer moved me against the wall and put the handcuffs in me. He was being a little gentle due to the fact that I was not putting up a struggle. The handcuffs were still uncomfortable, though. They were about twenty degrees colder than my skin and they pinched badly.

"Wave the Swallow, you are being arrested on the charges of robbery. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say from this point on can and will be used against you in the court of law." I briefly wonder how many times this officer had to recite that. "Okay boys, search the place for those jewels."

"Which you aren't going to find because Wave is innocent," yelled Jet tauntingly. "Break anything and you pay for it!" He sat down angrily, followed by Storm. "I can't believe this."

"I can believe it. You guys are the Babylon Rogues. You're the suspects in quite a few crimes. We just never have enough evidence to press charges. But now we can bust this little birdie here," the officer holding me said, pushing me forward slightly.

"Don't manhandle me!" I snapped, unable to control my temper.

"Watch your mouth if you don't want to get in more trouble!" I shut my trap and looked at Jet helplessly. He had a determined look in eyes. I knew he wasn't going to let me go that easily.

"There's nothing we can do now," muttered Jet. That answer was not what I was expecting. Well, there goes my chance of freedom. I could tell he was beyond pissed. He doesn't have s reason not to be. After all, he's losing his mechanic the night before a race.

"Alright we're taking you away to the detention center while this place is searched. Let's go."

I took one last look at my team. Cream looked as if she were about to cry, Jet looked like he wanted to punch someone in the face, and Storm was watching the officers searching the house like a hawk (or in his case, an albatross).

Whoever really took those gems must have it out for me.

"Guys, I'm obviously being framed," I complained to the officers in charge of the booking processes once I got down to land.

"Yeah, we get that a lot around here."

"No, seriously! Why would the thief cover their face, but have my outfit showing clear as day! Obviously they wanted people to see it. And the feather could have been planted on site. I'm seriously being framed!"

"You seem to have put a lot of though into what the thief was trying to do. A little to much thought."

"I couldn't have committed the crime anyway because..."

"Because what?"

I whispered a curse under my breath. I had a legitimate alibi, but to get out of this crime I have to confess to another. Things are not looking so well for me.

"..I was with my team the whole night! There's no way that's me! Like I said, they're only wearing my clothes."

"You may have a point," said the officer, actually listening to me, "but like you said, we found a feather."

"Which could have easily been planted on the scene! My goodness, you people are police officers, don't you use your brains?"

"That's enough out of you, birdie," said the officer as he gripped my wrists tightly. "Tell it to the interrogation team."

Back at the airship...

After four hours of tediously searching the airship, not a single jewel was found. They police became suspicious that Wave or another Rogue had sold them and decided to interrogate the swallow.

Despite the airship being restored to it's original condition, Jet the Hawk was not a happy camper. Why did they have to to through everyone's things? Did this ever happen to any of the previous Babylon Rogues, or was he the first leader to get the place searched?

Then there was Wave. Never before had a Babylon Rogue been arrested. Killed, yes, but not arrested. Now, it was one of his own that became the first to be arrested, and by the cruelest strike of irony she wasn't the one who committed the crime. The green hawk didn't want to admit it, but he didn't feel as confident with the upcoming race knowing that his friend wouldn't be by his side. Without her technical knowledge and racing advice, it will be a little more difficult for him. But still, it's not impossible; it's never impossible.

"What are we going to do?" wailed Cream. Jet hoped that Cream would not start crying. He doesn't have he patience to deal with waterworks.

"We'll have to live life as it is. Go to sleep, win the race tomorrow, and wait for something to happen," said the leader. It was his job to keep the team's spirits up despite their loss.

"What if Wave doesn't come back?"

"She'll come back! She didn't commit the crime, as we all know. We just have to wait for the police to realize that too."

"But what if she doesn't come back?"

Jet gently slapped his forehead in annoyance. "You ask too many questions." Dejectedly, he trotted back to his office for some alone time.

Multiple questions and worries flew through his head faster that the Legendary Wind Master himself on his board. His usual confident manner was being worn down by Cream's innocent but skeptical questions. What if Wave's innocence can't be proven? She'll have to go to jail. How long was a typical robbery sentence? He can't afford to lose her for to long. She's a valuable team member, a reliable ally, and a good friend.

An edging precise was felt in the room, causing Jet to tense up. "Who's there?" he asked.

"Just us, Boss," said a deep voice. It was Storm, and judging by his use of the word 'us', Cream was also with him. Jet's tension constricted.

"What is it?" Jet asked, his voice void of any emotion.

"Cream and I were thinking, and, uh, we were wondering if we could do a jailbreak tonight and have Wave back for the race. We need her mechanic skills."

The attentive hawk turned to face his comrades. "It's really late to plan a jailbreak. It would take us a long time to plan one even with Wave's help; since she's not here it will take even longer to plan. Besides, even if we did rescue her tonight she couldn't come to the race with us. She's a wanted woman; they'll be searching far and wide for her. And I'm sure one of the first places they'd search for her is that race."

"So, what are we going to do?" asked Cream sadly.

Jet sighed and prepared to give an order that he never though he would ever have to give. "We're going to sit back and wait to see what happens."

The phone on Jet's desk began to ring, which was a little strange. Who had business calling the Babylon Rogues? Jet picked up the phone and slammed it to his beak. "Babylon Rogues, Jet speaking."

At the detention center...

After getting booked, finger-printed, and all of that jazz, the police brought me to Interrogation Room Two. The whole room was a monochromatic gray and its only furnishings were a table and three chairs, two on one side and one on the other. The police sat me in the lone chair and shut the door. Without the light from outside, the room was pitch back. I heard the officers that led me in sit across from me.

Suddenly I heard a small click, and white light seared through my eyes. I brought my arm up in surprise until my eyes adjusted. The only source of light in the room was a table light aimed to shine on me. I once read that this was a common interrogation method used to make suspects feel nervous. Well, it won't work on me! Bring on the witty remarks and rapid-fire dialogue.

"Are you Wave the Swallow?" asked one of the officers.

"Yes, the one and only. What's your name?"

"I'm officer one. I'm doing the talking. That's officer two. She's recording this interrogation and is here for backup."

"Oh, pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all yours," remarked the officer, completely unfazed by my sarcasm. At least, he sounded unfazed. The police kept their faces hidden by plain black masks so I was unable to read his facial expression. "So, you claim to have nothing to do with the jewel robbery that happened earlier in the night?"

"I'm innocent."

"Uh-huh. So, where were you at precisely 8:15 pm?"

I waited no moment to respond. "At the airship with my crew."

"Back with your 'crew', the Babylon Rogues, an ancient group of thieves that are the main suspects on a list of crimes longer than you can imagine?"

"Yep! That's us!"

"Well, I would go and interrogate them, but they're probably as untrustworthy as you are."

"You think I'm untrustworthy? Aw, but we're just getting to know each other, Officer One!"

"Drop the sarcasm, swallow. So, why do you say that you're innocent?"

"I'm obviously being framed. I mean, you can't even see my face on the tape! I'm telling you, someone stole a pair of my clothes and is wearing them over a black body suit. You can't prove that that was me. I have an IQ of 250; I wouldn't be dumb enough to wear my clothes over my bodysuit."

"You have a point, but not enough of one to prove your innocence," Officer Two laid a few snapshots from the security camera, one of them being the one they aired over the news.

"So," said Officer One," you're saying this isn't you?"

I picked up one of the photos and studied it. "Heck no it's not! Do my boobs look that big?" I pointed to the chest of the person in the picture. Whoever is framing me is clearly more... gifted than me.

"That's ridiculous. That's still not enough to prove that you are innocent."

"You want me to prove my own innocence? Isn't that what my lawyer does? I am legally entitled to one!"

"Don't get your tail feathers in a knot." I winced at his cliche remark. "You'll have one for your trial."

"Okay. So when's my trial?"

Officer One shrugged. "A few months, maybe?"

"So, what happens until then?"

"You stay here in the detention center, unless you get bailed out."

"How much is my bail?"

Officer Two looked up. "Five grand."

I nearly choked on my own saliva. "What? I don't have that kind of money, nor do I know of anyone that does."

"Well, looks like this place will become your home. I'll show you to your cell right after you make your call."

"I get to make a call? Great." I hope I can remember the Babylon Rogues' number. How pitiful would it be if I couldn't remember my own number?

Officer One led me out of the interrogation room and through the cells to a small room with an old payphone and some chairs that had seen better days. He stated some of my rights and reminded me that all calls were tracked and recorded. He he gave me a nickel and stepped aside. My heart was beating like a drum as I inserted the coin and carefully dialed 555-3792 into the worn out dialer.

Ring. Please let this number be right.

Ring. Somebody answer the phone. Somebody. Anybody.

Ring. I can't take this.

Ring. Crash. "Babylon Rogues, Jet speaking."

"Oh, Jet! Thank goodness you picked up!"

"Wave?" I heard a lot of commotion in the background. "Shut up and let me talk to Wave!" Jet snapped. I guess Cream and Storm are with him. "Wave what's going on?"

"Jet, I'm going to have to stay in jail until the trial unless you can bail me out."

"How much is the bail?"

"Five thousand dollars."

"Seriously, Wave? We don't have that kind of money. When's your trial?"

"A few months. I'm assuming it's when they gather enough evidence to hold a case against me."

"Months!" I heard a loud noise come from the receiver. Jet was probably throwing a fit on the other end.

"I'm sorry," I said shamefully.

"Me too, Wave. Whoever is framing you will pay."

"Hey, wrap up the call," said the officer harshly.

"I don't know when we'll talk again, so listen. There's a bright green book in my desk in my workshop. Chapter One tells you how to tune an extreme year. Read it, do it. and you might be able to win the race tomorrow. I have to go now. Good luck."

"Wave, are you sure everything is okay?"

"I can't answer that. Just don't worry about me. Tell Cream that I'm fine, okay? I really have to go now!"

"Bye," he muttered. I heard a small slamming nose and the phone flatlined like a dead heart. I hung up the receiver.

"Okay, take me home," I muttered sarcastically to the officer.

Meanwhile, at the airship...

"Bye," muttered Jet as he hung up the phone. His teammates were watching him with eager, childlike eyes. He met their gaze, expecting a barrage of questions.

"Was that Wave? Is she okay? Is she coming back? What about the race? Is she going to be in trouble?" Cream and Storm barked questions at him faster than Jet could process. He resisted his impulses to yell at his crew and took a gentle breath. Now that Wave was gone, it was up to him to be the responsible one.

"Yes, that was Wave. She's fine. She.. she's not going to be coming back soon. We'll have to race without her."

"Oh, no..." moaned Cream. Storm began to comfort her.

"Storm, hand me your board," demanded Jet. The hawk figured that if Wave wanted him to tune the boards, he sight to tune the worst racer's board first in case he messed it up.

Obediently, Storm handed over his Type-S to his leader. Jet flashed him one of his confident smiles and walked into Wave's cramped workshop. He spotted a bright green book on her desk and assumed that this was the book she was talking about over the phone. He set down Storm's extreme gear, took a seat, and picked up the book. Hopefully he'll be able to properly tune everyone's gears for the race. If luck is on his side, maybe they'll be tuned well enough for his team to place high.

_The Basics of Preparing an Extreme Gear_

_Chapter 1: The Basics of the Basics_

_So, you want to tune an extreme gear? It's simple! The first thing you must do is flip the board over so that the underside of the board is facing you. Remove the four screws to open the cover. Inside of the box you will see three bars filled with liquid; one blue, one red, and one yellow._

That seemed easy enough. Jet flipped the board over and removed he box. He saw the three color rods there just as the book had promised. In Storm's board, all three rods were less than halfway full, with the blue one nearly empty.

_A properly tuned board has all of the rods filled. The blue rod is fuel for speed. The yellow rod is air for jumps. The red rod is raw power for boosts._

Okay, thought Jet, this sort of makes sense. He found himself relieved at how simple the book explained it. If only Wave's speeches were line the book.

_To fill the red rod, flip the board back over and pump the throttle until you feel a thrust on the board._

The hawk blinked at the text. One second the book was simple and Jet-like; the next it was all technical and Wave-like.

_To fill the yellow rod, push down on the lower part of the throttle. You should hear a sucking noise. When the noise stops, your rod should be full. The same procedure should repeated for the blue rod, except you should push down on the upper part of the throttle._

Jet nodded to himself. He was confident that he could at least fill the blue and yellow rods. He flipped the board over and pushed down on the top part of the throttle used for acceleration. Like the book described, Jet heard a noise similar to air being released from a bag. As soon as it stopped, the bird slid his fingers down to the bottom of the throttle and heard the noise again. When it stopped again, he flipped the board over and saw that the blue and yellow rods were filled. Easy enough! Now for that pesky red rod...

The cunning leader flipped the board over once again and looked to the book for directions. "Pump the throttle." Jet hesitated to push down on the acceleration. This wasn't like earlier when he had to press the edges of the button; no, this time he actually had to press the acceleration! What if the board started to move and damaged something in Wave's workshop? He'd never hear the end of it from her.

The hawk firmly wrapped his arms around the gear in case it decided to make a break for it and hit something. Gingerly, he used two free fingers and pushed down on the throttle. As soon as the board started to move, he let go. The process was repeated over and over.

After about seven pushes, the board gave a hefty jerk in Jet's arms. He pumped he throttle twice more, and the board jerked again. Soon, the board began to jerk back and forth, tossing Jet around like a mechanical bull. The bucking gear became hot to the touch and started to smoke. When Jet saw this, he immediately let go of the board and ran to the edge other room.

The out-of-tune board simply sat on the floor, signaling Jet's impending doom with the white-gray smoke seeping out of the engine.

Jet shook is head shamefully. It looks like nobody will be able to boost during the race since tuning the boost was a mystery to him. Jet watched the board as he smoke settled down. His hopes of winning the race were settling down as well.

Up until his point, he never realized how much he truly needed Wave on the team, with her nagging and everything. Her job was tough, and she did it perfectly. Jet wanted her back in that moment more than ever.

You never truly appreciate what you have until it's gone.


	9. Now I'm a Believer

Jet the Hawk had just finished tuning the last board. It's would be a long shot to place in the race with a board incapable of boosting, but the hawk didn't want to give up.

"Now, your boards can still boost, but only a few times. Use them wisely," the leader reminded his team. It was usually Wave's job to do this, but since she's gone, Jet knew he had to take responsibility as leader.

"How are we supposed to win with no boost?" asked Storm.

"It's either no boost, or no board!" yelled Jet, remembering last night's events, namely a smoking board and crushed hopes.

"Sorry Boss." Jet waved his hand to signal that he wanted to continue his speech.

"Okay, obviously, Wave's still gone. We're famous as a group of three, so people are going to be asking us where Wave is. Don't say anything. Let me handle the talking. So, Cream, Storm, keep your traps shut. I want to keep Wave's arrest on the down low."

"Got it, Boss," said Cream, picking up on Storm's habit.

Jet landed the oversized aircraft in the parking lot of a deserted building. He usually kept the aircraft on autopilot, but with the whole team in public, he decided to land it and lock it down. The last thing he wanted was to be a victim of a robbery. Thieves stealing from thieves.

The team then set off to Metropolis Speedway on foot, gear in hand. They wanted to conserve the energy in their boards for the race, especially since they were at a huge disadvantage with the tuning.

Unsurprisingly, the first people the team encountered were Sonic the Hedgehog and his trusty sidekick, Tails. Tails was tuning his and his hero's board while Sonic was doing some pre-race warm ups. When he he noticed Jet, he let out one of his trademark grins.

"Yo, Jet, I hope you're prepared for a fight, because I'm giving this race my all."

"Heh. I look forward to that," said Jet smoothly.

"Hey Cream," said Tails, looking at his misfit friend with her teammates. Cream, following Jet's instructions, simply nodded in recognition to her long-time friend. He looked over the Rogues, expecting to see a harsh but familiar face. "Where's Wave?"

"She couldn't make it," said Jet simply.

"Oh? That's a shame. One less Rogue for me to destroy." Sonic chuckled, looked over Jet's shoulder, and waved. The green bird turned around to find an burly green crocodile that looked familiar to him, along with a stiff purple chameleon and a small orange bee.

The green crocodile kept his eyes on the rabbit. "Hello, Cream. I must admit, it'll be strange to race against you considering we were teammates at our last race. How's your mother?"

The innocent rabbit glanced at Jet, who nodded for her to speak. "Hello, Mr, Vector! My momma is doing fine, thank you for asking."

Vector look at Jet and frowned. "Cream, why are with them?" he asked, putting nasty emphasis on the word "them".

"Because she wants to be," Jet snapped. "Don't be jealous."

"Still as grumpy as ever, you twerp," retorted the crocodile.

Cream, not wanting her friends to fight, decided to get into the middle of things win her kindness. "So, Mr. Vector, what brings you here with Mr. Espio and Charmy?"

"Well, as you know, we've been struggling with the rent lately. We can use all of the help we can get. So I decided-"

"Vector would rather enter a silly race which he barely knows a thing about rather than get an actual job," commented Espio nonchalantly, cutting Vector off.

"Hey! You know very well that I have a job! We're all detectives!"

"My mistake. I forgot our job of detectives work due to the lack of work we are assigned."

"Shut up, Espio, if you know what's good for ya." Charmy giggled at the petty arguments. Espio simply bowed to Vector, respecting his authority in a sarcastic way. Jet briefly pondered what it would be like if his teammates bowed to him like that.

Cream, despite her naïveté, couldn't help but notice the similarities between the Babylon Rogues and the Chaotix. Both teams frequently argue with each other. Both parties possess a hot-headed leader and a brainy right hand man. However, one team is a band of thieves and the other is a group of detectives. Both parties were so similar, yet so different; the antithesis of each other.

Vector eyed the two true Babylon Rogues. "I know it's been awhile, but isn't there another one of you?"

"Maybe," said Jet. "What's it to you?"

"A detective always asks questions." Vector glared at he big-talking bird.

"Fair enough," said Jet. "But you're not getting any more out of me." The two green characters continued to glare at each other. Though no harsh words were traded, but the tension between the two was at a high.

"Well, Vector, the race starts in five minutes. Unless, of course, you want to continue your stare-off with that bird," said Espio.

"Hey buddy! 'That bird' happens to be Jet, leader of the Babylon Rogues! Show some respect!"

Jet broke his gaze with Vector and cast Storm an unpleasant look. "I told you to keep your trap shut!"

Storm blushed lightly. "S-sorry Boss." The Chaotix took this momentary break in tension to leave the Chaotix and prepare for the race by doing a gear check-up.

"Well, team, we should get in our positions too." Storm and Cream happily obliged and the motley crew stood around at the starting line. Cream caught a glimpse of her pink best friend smothering Sonic in a hug. She looked away, not knowing where she and Amy stood with each other since their argument two days ago.

"Hi Cream," said Amy, who caused Cream to jump up by suddenly popping up in front of her face.

"Oh, hi Amy," said the young rabbit, testing the waters.

"I'm sorry about what happened on Thursday. It was totally out of line."

"I'm sorry too," said Cream as she hugged her friend.

Amy looked around for Wave as she hugged her friend. A small smile broke out when she realized that Wave was nowhere in sight. "Where's your friend Wave?"

Cream glanced over to her hot-headed leader, who was busy looking over his board. She turned back to Amy and answered her in a small whisper. "Oh, Amy, it's awful! Wave got accused of a crime she didn't do last night and got arrested. Shhh, Jet doesn't want me talking about it to anyone. But, you are my best friend."

"Aw, I'm sorry Cream!" Amy gave her small friend another quick hug for support. The announcer called for everyone not racing to leave the track. Amy waved bye to Cream and wished Sonic luck before leaving the track.

Eight of the ten racers who signed up lined up at the starting line. The ninth racer, who loved to be fashionably late, swooped to the starting line with only seconds to spare. She flew right between Jet and Storm, attracting everyone's attention.

"Why, hello there, Babylon Rogues," said the new racer. Her voice was as smooth as honey. She took a look at the competition. "Where's your mouthy purple friend?"

"None of your business, Rouge," snapped Jet. He knew Rouge and Wave hated each other, though he didn't know why. Either way, he wan't going to comprise his purple friend's situation to anyone, especially to her biggest rival.

"Oh, a bit sensitive, I see. What, did she fly he coop or something?"

Jet did not answer her, for the announcer was instructing everyone to grab their boards and get ready to start.

Jet gripped his board to him tightly. He had to win this. He was born for this. Now, the odds were against him and he needed the money more than ever. Losing was not an option.

"Good luck, pal," called Sonic sarcastically. Jet was in no mood to joke with his rival. This was serious.

The race officials set up the electric gate a hundred feet ahead of the racers. The countdown of the electric gate was displayed at four seconds. As it started to go down, the racers began to run for the gate, board in hand. All but Sonic and Jet, who knew what they were doing. They stood on their boards and slowly drifted towards the electric gate. Once the counter went a little past one second, the two daredevils pushed hard on their thrust and sped forward, clearing the electric gate just as it disappeared and leaving the other racers in the dust. The crowd ooh-ed and aah-ed at their small spectacle. Jet uttered a small, haughty laugh. Clearly, they had never seen professional extreme gear racers before.

Jet briefly wondered how his teammates were holding up but knew not to look back; looking back was a foolish and amateur move.

The speedy Rogue was neck and neck with the Blue Blur himself. Jet was trying to hold off his boosts until the end, so he knew Sonic would end up passing him. He promised himself he wouldn't let his ego get the better of him

Sure enough, the hedgehog took a small boost, expecting Jet to do the same. He didn't. Sonic skillfully swerved around the corner, surprised to not see a familiar blur of green next to him. He shrugged it off and assumed that the sly hawk was planning on pulling one over on him.

Jet, still trying to conserve his boost power, slid into the hedgehog's slipstream in order to gain a few more units on the speed scale. It felt out of place for him to enter someone's slipstream because that would mean that he would have to be behind somebody. Which also meant that he wouldn't be in the lead. Jet was almost always in the lead.

Just like that, one lap was out. Jet was beginning to fall behind due to his lack of boost. The confident Rogue still kept his head high and kept on riding. He felt a large gust of wind and saw a black blur pass him by. What the heck was that? Another person passed him up?

Never before had the hawk placed lower than third. Never. Today's not going to be that day. He hit the thrust on his gear, sending him flying. He hit it again, and again, and again until he finally passed up a scantily-clad racer: Rouge. "See ya," Jet taunted. So that was who had passed him earlier! She was really flying; Jet wondered how her board reached that speed.

He heard Rouge swear at him as he accelerated even further. The finish line was going to be coming up soon, and he was almost out of boosts. It was a risk he had to take.

Jet slammed his foot on the throttle and sped up faster than ever. Everything from the cheers of he crowd to the course itself was a blur to him. The only thing that was clear was the form of his rival as Jet finally caught up to him inches away from the finish line. It was too close to call who passed the finish line first, which had the crowd on edge.

Jet skidded his board to a halt and ran to the sidelines. His whole body was pulsing from the massive adrenaline rush his body was going through. He loved every second of it.

All of the racers were instructed to sit on a bench while the results were being calculated. It was almost horror to Jet. He needed to beat Sonic. He needed to take the title of first place. He needed the money. His team needed the money.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it appears we have a tie-"

Jet and Sonic glared at each other. They'd have to split the money!

"-for second place!"

"What!" yelled Jet and Sonic. They tied for second! That means... somebody was ahead of them the whole time! Jet groaned in frustration. How could he let he victory slip away? Who could have been faster than him, the Legendary Wind Master?

"We are pleased to award the title of third place to Rouge."

The bat stood up, and the crowed applauded. A significant amount of whistling could be heard from the males. "No prize? I'm out of here!" The huntress took to the skies with her powerful wings and her board in her hands.

"Okay, well, second place, as you know, is shared by both Jet and Sonic!" The crowd went wild even though neither the hedgehog of nor the hawk bothered to stand up.

"And first place goes to none other than.. Storm!"

Jet's whole body went numb. Storm outraced him? There's no way. Even Cream is a better racer than Storm! How did Storm get his board to go so fast? Was he the mysterious black blur? He felt a whole range of emotions at he news of his teammates's victory. He watched jealously as the bulky albatross stood up and accepted the large check for five thousand dollars. The crowd was cheering louder than ever.

After the uproar faded and the racers left, Storm hobbled over to Jet and Cream. Storm eagerly handed Jet the check. "For you, Boss."

Jet was too absorbed in his loss to realize that he still won the money. Of course, holding the check in his hands brought the greedy hawk back to reality.

"Heh, thanks, Storm." Jet patted Storm on the back. "I never thought you had it in you."

"Good job, Storm!" squealed Cream, flying into Storm's arms.

"Thanks guys. I don't know how I did it. I really don't."

"It doesn't matter, you won!" yelled Cream excitedly.

"Okay, everyone ready to head back?" asked Jet. He didn't want to hang around be Speedway.

"Sure, can I just look at the results please?" begged Cream.

"Fine, just be quick." The rabbit quickly ran to the official result list. She gasped when she saw how high her name was.

1. Storm

2. Jet and Sonic

3. Rouge

4. Cream

5. Tails

6. Vector

7. Espio

8. Charmy

9. Wave

The rabbit stood in admiration of her score. Fourth place? All by herself? Her mother was going to be so proud.

A mocking laughter caused her to jump. She turned to see Jet and Storm pointing to the list and laughing. "They put Wave in last place because she wasn't here. That's cold, but funny!" exclaimed Jet. He and Storm burst into more laughter. Cream couldn't help but giggle herself. She knew Wave hated the idea of being last.

However, beneath the laughter, Jet was feeling guilty. He was just thinking of what he and the team could do with the newfound money. He had a whole list of things that the Rogues needed to get back at his office. Unfortunately, once he saw who placed last in the race, he knew what he had to do with the money.

"So, Boss, ready to head back?"

Jet looked at his two eager teammates. "Actually, you guys go. I have some leader duties to take care of."

"Okay," said Cream happily. "Hey, Storm, how about I make you some pancakes for winning?"

The hawk turned away from his teammates to set off. He couldn't help but break a smile when he heard Storm's howl of delight. He never understood his friend's obsession with pancakes.

Back at the detention center...

Boy, naps are amazing. It's fun to do nothing all day, especially when I'm used to working on machines all day. Now I know why Jet is so lazy; it's addicting!

I heard a loud clanging noise which fully woke me up. My anger turned to happiness when I realized my cell door was open. I then heard some words I never though I would hear: "You've been bailed out."

My mind started to buzz. No way I'm getting bailed out! The only person that has the money to do so is my mother, but I haven't talked to her since I joined the Rogues five years ago. I'm also pretty sure she hates me... but that's an age old story not worth telling. I grew afraid of who I would see in the booking room.

My nerves eased when I saw a familiar green hawk standing there. Jet had bailed me out! No way! I wrapped my arms around him in a grateful hug. Jet didn't return the hug, but he didn't push me away.

I had to sign a few forms until I was finally able to step outside again. I haven't even been locked up for a whole day, and I've been dying to get some sunlight. I turned to Jet.

"I can't believe you bailed me out? I really can't believe it. Where'd you get the money?"

"The race," he answered dully.

"You won?"

"No," said Jet. "Storm did."

My beak opened so wide, it was hard to tell if it was still connected to my face. "Okay, the bail thing doesn't seem to crazy now that I've heard that."

Jet gave a weak laugh. "You're lucky he got first because I tied for second with Sonic."

"Oh, good thing he won or we would have gotten half of the money."

"The money's gone now," said Jet sadly.

"I know." I looked at Jet gratefully. "I'm still surprised that you bailed me out. I know you really needed the money."

"We need you more."

I hesitated. Of all the things Jet could say, that seemed the least likely. Jet seemed to notice my reaction and laughed. "What, can't take a compliment? Since you've been gone I've had to take your place. It sucks. No money in the world can pay me to do what you do. Besides, if you attend all of your court dates I get most of the money back. Funny how bails work."

"I don't care what your motives were," I said, placing a friendly hand on Jet's shoulder, "thank you."

Jet and I flew back to the airship on Jet's board. He explained to me how he tried to tune Storm's board and failed horribly. I couldn't help but tease him. Tuning an extreme gear is so easy. I can't believe he screwed it up. I wouldn't be surprised if he broke Storm's board. Then again, Storm did win the race. I told myself that I would do a check-up on Storm's board when we returned home.

"Cream! Storm! My office!" yelled Jet. Jet then pushed me under his desk. I guess to surprise Cream and Storm. Whatever.

"What is it, Boss?"

"Yes, Jet?"

"I have someone here for you to meet."

"Who?" asked Cream and Storm simultaneously.

Jet nudged me, which I took as my cue. I quickly popped up and took brief enjoyment of their surprise faces. "Hi! Long time, no see."

"Wave! You're back!"

Yes, and I plan to keep it that way.


	10. Bittersweet

I had no time to react because a fluffy ball of beige hit me in the chest. I looked down and saw Cream holding me in a tight hug. "Oh yay! You're back," she cooed, snuggling into my chest. I patted her head and pried her off of me.

Just when I thought I was free from affection, Storm wrapped me in a huge bear hug and lifted me off of the ground with his brute strength. "I'm glad you're back. Now the Boss can take his anger out on you again instead of me!"

"Put me down!" I cried. Storm obliged. I looked up at him and flashed him a quick grin. "So, you won the race?"

Storm smiled a really sheepish grin. It would have been cute... if he was five years old. "Yep! I don't know how I did it, but I did! I guess I don't suck as much as you say I do."

I laughed. "I wouldn't say that just yet. I have thought over what might have happened based on what I have heard, and I have a reasonable hypothesis for Storm's win."

"English?" asked Jet.

"I think I know how Storm won. Give me your board, Storm." He handed it over to me. "Let me do a small inspection."

I walked over to the next room, and just like I expected, everyone followed me. I placed Storm's board on the table upside-down. The blackened char all around the fuel box started to confirm my previous suspicions. I grabbed a screwdriver and carefully opened the box. Black dust sprinkled the desk.

"Woah! That wasn't there last night!" yelled Jet.

I looked at the tubes. The air and fuel gauges were almost empty, but the boost gauge was full. However, instead of red liquid, there was black powder. Okay, my suspicions were now officially confirmed.

"Just as I suspected," I thought aloud. "Jet, I know that nobody can tune a gear as well as I can, but I thought that you could at least do a basic tune-up."

"Hey, I'm the leader; you're the mechanic," he retorted. "So what did I do wrong?"

"You overcharged the boost gauge. Storm's gear was going twice as fast as it should have!"

"But Wave, isn't it a good thing I overcharged the board? If not, Storm would not have won."

"No. Don't ever think that way! Overcharging the boost is one of the worst things you can do! Extreme gears can become completely unstable if all of the elements in there become out of balance. Storm, you got lucky that all that happened to you was a boost overdrive, and that it happened during a race. I mean, the board could have went in into overdrive while you were sleeping and destroyed the place, or it could have combusted and set the place on fire. And if it combusted while you were riding it, it probably would have killed you!"

"Quit babbling, Wave!" yelled Jet.

"Jet, I don't think you realize the severity of the situation!"

"What situation? This is all over and done with!" We were in each other faces again. I took a deep breath. Jet needs to be more responsible.

"Whatever. I'm going to show you how to tune up a board good enough to run. It won't be spectacular like my tune up jobs, but it will do you justice if you need to tune your board and I'm gone."

"I know how to tune the blue and yellow rods. Show me how to tune the red rod." I almost laughed at the fact that he was referring to the gauges by their colors.

I grabbed my board and went into the hallway while the others stood in the doorway of my workshop. "It's really simple, Jet." I hopped on the board and repeatedly pressed my foot on the thrust. Each time I did, my board inched forward a little. I continued to stomp on the thrust until the board jerked forward slightly. I jumped off and bowed. "And that's how you do it."

Cream started to giggle. "You messed that up, Jet? Wow." Cream just insulted Jet? Wow, she really is becoming one of us!

Jet crossed his arms. "Like you can do better, Cream."

"Guys, uh, I'm glad talking about boards and stuff is fun, but we have a problem," said Storm.

That got everyone's attention. "Okay?" asked Jet, wanting him to continue.

"How did you get Wave back? You two started babbling about boards and, uh, I never got a chance to ask."

"Well, Storm, let's just say that I traded in our prize money for Wave. She's allowed to stay with us until her trial. That's when we get the money back."

"Okay, so you'll get your money back. But what if Wave is found to be guilty?" asked Cream, horrified.

"I won't, because I'm not. Surely a credible forensic scientist will study the case and find the lack of evidence against me inconclusive."

"..O..kay," mumbled everyone.

"Wave, your name can only be cleared if someone else is found guilty," said Jet.

"Who could've framed you?" asked Storm.

"Believe me, Storm, I've been wondering that since I got arrested last night."

"Oh, I wonder if we'll figure it out," said Cream innocently. "This is awful!"

"Doubt it. We're thieves, not detectives," muttered Jet.

"That's it!" announced Cream, surprising all of us. "We can call a detective!"

"What? You actually think we need help?" questioned Jet.

"Yes, we do," argued Cream

"No, we don't need help! We're the Babylon Rogues; we don't need help. And I'm the leader so what I say goes."

"Just because you're the leader doesn't mean you make the best decisions," said Cream nicely but disapprovingly. I laughed, gaining glares from both Jet and Storm.

"Shut your mouth, you little back-talker. Jeez, you've been around Wave too much."

"Cream, I'm so proud of you," I commented.

"Shut up! Ugh! You two are so irritating! I'm going to my office for some shut-eye. Don't bother me unless it's important. Wave, Storm's board needs fixing. Get to it." Jet stormed into his office and slammed the door. If I had a dollar for every time I have heard something like that from Jet, I probably would have been able to bail myself out of jail.

"I hope this board isn't too badly busted." I gently nudged Cream and Storm out of my workshop. I like to be alone when working on extreme gear. An expert cannot be bothered.

"Uh, sparring session?" asked Storm unsurely.

Cream smiled at him. "You're on, big guy!" Those two are so strange.

The next day...

Ah, Sunday. The only day of the week that I don't have to listen to Jet. After Cream left to visit her mother, I went out to find of more about the robbery I am currently accused of committing. It was more of an impulsive thing rather than something carefully planned like I'm used to. Maybe that's why I returned to the airship empty-handed.

The minute I stepped back onto the airship, Storm was there waiting for me. "The Boss wants to see you. He sounds angry."

"Nothing I'm not used to." I walked down the hall and swung ole the double doors of Jet's office. "What do you want?" I asked as I passed through.

"Where were you?"

"It's Sunday, Jet; I can do whatever I want."

"You could've told me you were leaving!"

"What, since when! That was never a rule!"

"It is now since I have to keeps tabs on you for your trial. I can't lose that five thousand dollars! And what if you were gone because you were arrested again? Then I'd have to go and claim the money again, and-"

"Seriously! The trial date hasn't even been set yet! It's always about money with you, isn't it?"

"Waaaaaaave!" rang Storm's voice from the lobby. First Jet, now Storm. So much for a pleasant Sunday.

"What, Storm? What?" I turned to face him.

"W-Where's Cream? Did she get arrested too?"

"No, Storm. She's visiting her mother. That was one of the terms I had to negotiate for her to stay with us." I turned to Jet. "Speaking of Cream, how did she do in the race?"

"Huh? Oh, she got fourth place. She even beat Sonic's little yellow sidekick, whatever his name is. She's proving to be a fine investment. Now if they start holding races for kids, we can enter Cream and she'll win them all! Haa ha hah hah ha!" I could almost see the dollar signs in his eyes as he laughed manically.

"Okay. Back to the previous matter, I was out looking for clues from the robbery. There, are you happy?"

"Did you find anything?"

I shook my head sadly. A slightly awkward silence filled the air. I'm sure we were all thinking the same thing: I'm doomed to live the rest of my life in prison.

"Cream's visiting her mom, huh? I wonder if her mom is nice. I'm scared of meeting people's Mom's since I met Wave's almost six years ago," said Storm after a few moments. Well, I guess not all of us were thinking about my bleak future; Storm was thinking about my bleak past!

"Ugh, please don't remind me of that day." Jet shuddered. "She's one of the most awful women I've ever met."

"I haven't talked to her since the incident right after I formally joined the Babylon Rogues," I said thoughtfully.

Jet and Storm really hate my mother, but I don't think they hate her as much as I do. My mother is a very harsh person. She'll step on anyone to get what she wants. There's a slang term for people like her... what is it... oh! A gold digger, that's what she is. She met my father when the previous generation of Rogues were at the top of their game. However, she didn't know he was a thief; all she saw was his money. It was only until she became pregnant with me that she discovered the truth.

She was furious. She forbade my father from ever visiting her, or me for that matter. My father, however, fought back. He told her that he couldn't just leave because I, his future child, was to be the next Babylonian mechanic. It was a duty my mother couldn't keep me from. They fought for weeks on end until deciding that my father could visit me every year. He did, and his visits were usually him testing my knowledge of extreme gear. Much to his happiness, I inherited his intelligence and was a natural at working with extreme gear. He always left me with many books and extreme gear models. I used to shut myself in my room and spend hours tinkering with his boards and reading his books.

My mother was a whole different story. She always criticized me for my liking of racing and always suggested I put my intelligence to "good use." We fought quite a lot.

The night that Jet's father died was when tensions really started to rise. My father came in unannounced, carrying all of his things. He came straight to my room and told me that I was to move into the airship the next morning. I'll never forget how detached he sounded. I knew that he was extremely loyal to Jet's father and it must have pained him for his friend and comrade to die so suddenly. After relaying the news to me, he left. I never saw him again after that night.

I was both excited and scared to leave home. I knew that I was going to a place where I would do nothing but work with extreme gears. I also knew that I would be expected to steal, but I was confident that I could do it easily. After all, I was born for this.

I could hardly sleep that night, I was so excited. I packed my things the second the sun rose. Finally, I was to become a Rogue! I took my bags and ran downstairs, ready to take my extreme gear to the fabled Babylon Airship. My mother wasn't at all happy to see me go. I'll never forget what went down that morning.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.

"To the airship? I'm a Rogue now."

"Wave, really? You were gifted with intelligence beyond compare and you want to became a thief and a gear mechanic!"

"Yes. It's my duty as a descended Babylonian to do this."

"Oh, don't start with that! The Babylon Rogues are practically dead. There's only you and two boys now, if I'm not mistaken. The leader is eight years old! What if he dies before he has a child? Then your precious group of thieves will cease to exist."

Tears formed behind my eyes, but I dared not let them show. I had to show her my strength. "How dare you say that." I grabbed my stuff and walked out on her.

When I got to the airship, I met Jet. He was in his office, holding a clear blue box. He was so adorable! He told me that it was the only thing he had of his father. I learned later on at this was the key to Babylon Garden. I apologized to him for his loss and told him about my fight with my mother. He said he felt bad for me, too. We then expressed our excitement that we were now Rogues. I found out that he was excited to be the leader as much as I was to be the mechanic. I remember being surprised at how put together he was despite being eight years old.

I met Storm a little while later. He was extremely upset about leaving his parents. He came from a loving home, unlike me, and his father was still alive, unlike Jet. Also unlike us, Storm was not as excited about becoming a Rogue. He was a little scared, but Jet and I assured him we'd be by his side.

A few days went by and we became used to each other's company. We fought quite often and we still do, but Jet and Storm are like my brothers. Siblings fight often, don't they?

"Guys, it's Sunday, so you can do whatever you want," Jet told Storm and I on the morning of our first Sunday together. Ah, sometimes I miss the days before Jet became the bossy, lazy leader that he is today.

I had been planning to ask them a special favor for a while now, and I decided today was the day. I squirmed in my place, a little nervous about my request. "Hey guys, remember how I told you all that I got into a fight with my mother before leaving?" They nodded. "I want one last try, to make things right with her. I want her to meet you two." I could see the reluctance on their faces, so I tried to encourage them to say yes.

"Come on, guys! We're the Babylon Rogues! We may be one of the youngest generations, if not the youngest, but we can't have fear! We're an ancient group of thieves! Don't tell me you're afraid of meeting my mother!"

"Hey, don't talk to us like we're a bunch of babies!" yelled Storm. "We'll meet her, right Boss?"

"Heck yeah we will! Let's go! I've been dying to get some extreme gear action! Especially on the sweet new boards Wave built us!"

"And it will only get better with time," I reminded. The three of us excitably grabbed our boards I jumped out. It quickly turned into a race to the ground. I was pretty confident I'd win due to my riding knowledge, but Jet surprised me with how fast he was going. He was traveling at speeds I didn't think were possible! I swore to myself that I would experiment on him, get a speed reading.. anything! I wanted to gather more information on extreme gear. It was, and still is, my dream to become the best extreme gear specialist that ever lived. And since that day when I first saw Jet's spectacular riding skills, I knew that my dreams weren't beyond my reach.

When we reached my house, I felt that something was amiss. Still, that didn't stop me. I walked in the house courageously, followed by my teammates. I froze the minute I noticed what was wrong... there were boxes everywhere! My mom nearly growled when she detected my presence.

"You have some nerve to return here."

"Mother, I want to make things right."

She turned to fully face me, and for the first time noticed Jet and Storm. "You dare bring those filthy thieves into my house?" she yelled.

"Hey, lady, don't talk about us like that!" said Storm, standing up for his team.

"Stop fighting! Mom, what are all these boxes for?"

"I'm getting married tomorrow and am preparing to move into my new husband's house."

Storm and Jet stood shocked at her words and looked at me for my reaction. "What? How come you didn't tell me you were getting married? I didn't even know you were seeing someone."

"My fiancée is a very rich businessman and he's madly in love with me. I don't want anything to give him second thoughts, such as a trashy, thieving daughter or her 'gang members'. He doesn't know you exist, and he never will. So, you should leave. I don't want to see you ever again."

I could not believe my own mother would say such a thing. I couldn't say anything. My emotions held my mouth and brain on lockdown.

Jet decided to speak out. "You have enough nerve to speak to the Babylon Rogues like that?"

My mother glared at Jet with a sizzling anger that seemed to burn me in place. Jet, however, didn't seem phased. "Please. You may be the leader of your little gang, but you're only a little kid. You're not tough, so don't act like it."

Jet smirked at her. "I'm not tough?" He brought out a fist and punched her right in the face. She placed her hand where he hit her and took a step back. She then yelled so loudly I thought I could feel he house shake. She then shoved her hand into the box nearest to her and grabbed the best thing possible to use as a weapon.

Unfortunately for Jet, she pulled a large ceramic vase out of the box. "Jet, look out!" I screamed as she flung the vase at Jet. Thankfully he heard my cry and saw the vase. He ducked out of the way but he wasn't fast enough. The vase struck his right arm, making tons of small jagged cuts. Each of the cuts began to glow red with his blood. Jet yelled in anguish.

"You hurt the Boss!" yelled Storm, furious. He rushed to my mother and punched her in the face, opposite of where Jet hit her. That was the first time I had ever seen what Storm is capable of. The second his fist came into contact with her face, her feet lost connection to the ground. Her body flew across the room like a rag doll. I had never seen a grown man with strength like this before, much less a thirteen-year-old boy! Jet and I stood and gaped at my mother's unconscious body. Even Storm looked as if he couldn't believe what he had just done. Finally, my voice of reason returned. "Let's get out of here!" The three of us jumped on our boards and rushed back to the airship.

That day was very important to me. I truly accepted that my everything I knew about my old life was a lie. My mother was dead to me. My new home was the airship, where I lived with Jet and Storm. Things have changed a lot since then, with the three of us growing up and becoming more aggressive, but nothing can change the past.

"She really is one of the most awful women ever," I said in response to Jet's earlier comment. "Good thing she's out of my life."

The room fell silent until I heard the unmistakable sound of a stomach growling. Jet and I glanced at the culprit, Storm, and started to laugh. I had no idea why it was so funny; I guess all of us needed a laugh after reminiscing about my horrible mother.

"Too bad Storm, Cream's not here to make some more pancakes for you!" teased Jet. I couldn't help but laugh. Storm laughed as well.

"I'm sure that I can make simple pancakes, Boss. And don't laugh at me, Wave! I'll prove you both wrong right now!" Storm got up and left.

"I'm going to go make sure he doesn't burn the place down," I commented as I got up to follow Storm.

"I'm with you there," said Jet as he followed me out of the room.

We entered the kitchen to a beautiful scene of white fluff covering the area. It doesn't take a genius like me to deduce that Storm failed at his task of making pancakes. "Wow Storm, you didn't even open the box correctly. Good for you."

"Sh-shut up!" he yelled back.

"You're an idiot."

"Enough! Stop arguing and clean up this mess, Storm." Storm quickly scrambled out to get some cleaning supplies.

I suppressed a laugh as I left the kitchen and flopped onto the couch in the lobby. I turned on the television and switched to the local news to humor myself. Maybe I've been framed for a new crime?

"Local authorities have arrested a pair of foxes that have been stealing the copper piping in come upscale neighborhoods."

"Piping? Why would they steal piping?" scoffed Jet, who had apparently been behind me the whole time.

"It's not just any piping, Jet, it's copper piping. It's worth quite a bit of money if you have a lot of it."

"Worth a bit of money, huh? We should steal some copper pipes then!"

"Jet, that's crazy. You'll need a lot of copper. One hundred pounds of copper is worth only around a thousand dollars. You would have to steal the pipes from a whole city for that."

"Ugh, fine. I don't even know where to find copper pipes anyway."

I thought on it for a second before an image if my estranged mother popped into my head. She said she was moving in with a rich businessman nearly six years ago. If she was still there, surely there would be copper piping there! I turned to Jet and gave him one of his trademark grins. "Yeah, but I do."

"What? You just said not to take copper because you need a lot of it to make a profit. I'm not interested in anything if there's no profit."

"Yeah, but think about it. Copper is a useful material. Why, if I had a little, I could upgrade all of our boards!" I looked Jet dead in the eye. "Copper is a very high conductor, higher than the metal I use. With it, our boards should go faster."

Jet jumped up. "Yes! Maybe then I can finally beat Sonic the Hedgehog! We're going to get that copper! Where is it, again?"

"My mother should have some at her new house." I almost couldn't believe we were planning this. It was so crazy, so spur-of-the-moment. But I'm itching for revenge.

Storm walked in at the perfect moment. "W-what? We're gonna visit Wave's mother! N-no way!"

"Chill, Storm," said Jet as he yawned and stretched. "We're going to steal some copper from her. If you're too scared, don't come. It's Sunday, so you can do what you want."

"Are you kidding, Boss? I'm not missing the action! I'm in."

"Great," I answered, "now let me find out where she lives."

I went into Jet's office and activated the two touch-screen monitors. It's not exactly what I'd call the best technology, but we have some pretty high-tech stuff in this airship. I typed in a few words here and there, and a virtual image of a sizable mansion popped up long with a picture of my mother, my stepfather, and a toddler who looked to be three or four years of age. Oh, so I have a half-sibling? I shrugged and exited out of the picture. If my sibling is not a Babylonian like me, then he or she is dead to me, just like my mother.

I made a note of the location of the house. She lives in an upscale neighborhood; why am I not surprised? She lives in Leaf Forest... right down the street from Cream's mother! It's funny how much the Rogues are tied to Cream. Now, I don't believe in fate - it's illogical - but all of these coincidences from Jet's and Cream's fathers to Cream's and I's mothers seemed a little crazy.

I burst into the lobby. "Alright, we're going to Leaf Forest." The three of us grabbed our boards and set off on yet another thieving adventure.

Once we arrived at Leaf Forest, I pointed to the biggest house on the block. "Guess whose house that is?"

"Your Mom's." Jet and Storm stated the obvious answer at the same time. Sadly, their answer was wrong.

"Nope, it's Cream's." They both cried out in surprise.

"Wow, she's living large. Maybe we should steal from her," suggested Jet.

I hit his arm. "We don't steal from our own! What's wrong with you? Where's your sense of loyalty?"

"Jeez, I'm just kidding! Now where does your mother live?" I pointed to a less extravagant but still fancy house down the road.

We coasted on our boards until we neared the house. We jumped the fence of the neighboring house, then jumped the rest of the fences until reaching my mother's backyard. We did this to throw off any potential onlookers.

I used my computer necklace to scan the house until I found the area with the most copper. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough for me! I turned to my teammates. "Jet, I don't know if anyone is home or not. Can you keep watch?"

"Are you giving me an order?"

"You're impossible. Do you want that copper or not?"

Jet mumbled something about me being a know-it-all and stood against the corner of the house. I turned to Storm. "Storm, I need your strength." I pointed to two spots on the paneling. "I need you to punch a hole is those two spaces.

I was expecting some kind of comment about how he only takes orders from Jet, but shockingly the big guy pulled through for me. He pummeled the wall with his fists of fury until two nice sized holes formed. I peered inside and saw a mess of wires blocking the copper. "Crap, there's wires in the way. I can't blowtorch the copper out."

"I can pull out the wires for you."

"No! You might cause the power to go out in the house, which will get us busted if someone is home. Also, you might get electrocuted and die."

"Uh, how about I yank the copper out, then?"

"Can you do that?"

"Are you saying I'm weak?"

"No! Ugh, you're so defensive! Just rip that copper out, and be quick about it!" I moved out of the way for Storm. "Now remember, Storm, the copper is bright brown and kinda shiny. Some of it may even be a minty green color. Even someone like you should be able to spot it."

"Found it," mumbled Storm. I saw him grip the copper pieces and tear them out one by one. "Oh, there's a long rod. Do you want that, too?"

"Yes." Storm gave a few yanks, but nothing happened. I turned away momentarily to check on Jet only to hear a strange zapping noise and and find Storm on the ground. A copper rod of at least six inches in length was in his hand. I noticed the the edges of the rod were very jagged and sharp.

"Jet! We have a serious problem!" I screamed urgently. I looked into the hole where Storm pulled out the rod. The electric wires were in disarray, and one of them had a sizable cut. Storm must have cut the wire with the edges if the copper rod. And since copper conducts electricity...

"What the heck happened, Wave?" yelled Jet, staring at Storm's body.

"I don't have time to explain! It's not safe to be here! We've got to go! You take Storm, I'll take his board and the copper." I heard yelling from inside. Jet must have heard it to, because he grabbed Storm and punched the thrust on his board. I did the same, holding Storm's board close to me. I grabbed the copper rod and any mother copper I could hold. I ended up having to leave some pieces behind. That's thieving for you.

By the time we arrived at the airship, Jet and I were both breathing heavily from what we had to carry. I dropped the board and the copper and went straight to Storm, who was lying on the floor next to Jet's feet. I observed him closely.

"Oh, he's breathing normally. Thank goodness. When I saw that cut wire, I was so worried."

"Cut wire? You mean to tell me Storm electrocuted himself?"

"Not exactly. Electrocution means that you died from electric currents, if you want to get technical. Storm seems to only have shocked himself. Luckily, it doesn't seem to be severe."

"He's unconscious. It looks pretty severe to me."

"He'll come to in a bit. Go get some water to pour on him. Meanwhile, I'll check him over."

With no fuss at all, Jet got up and left. First, I checked Storm's left arm. I could see small red streaks, showing where the electricity traveled through his body. Next, I put my head on his chest. I had to make sure that his heart was beating normally because strong electric currents can cause the heart to best irregularly, which in turn could lead to cardiac arrest.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-Thump. Storm's heart was beating normally.

A blistering cold sensation caused me to jerk my head up. Jet had returned with the water and poured it on Storm's head, dousing me in the process. "You could have waited for me to move!"

"Why were you laying on him?"

"I was checking his heartbeat."

"Uh, why?"

"In case his had heart stopped beating! That could easily happen with electric shock. Storm seems to have a really strong heart, though. He's fine."

Jet scoffed. "Like I'm supposed to know anything about electricity."

Storm started to groan, which struck both Jet and I silent. He slowly sat up. "Wh-what happened?"

"How to you feel Storm?" I asked.

Storm cleared his throat and shakily stood up. "My left arm hurts. It feels like someone grabbed it and repeatedly yanked it up and down really hard. What happened?"

"When you pulled the copper rod out of the wall, you cut into an electric wire and shocked yourself."

Storm looked confused. "O-oh. My bad. But hey, at least we got the copper! I wonder if they've noticed that we've destroyed their house yet?"

"Probably," I said. "You most likely cut their power off, judging by the severity of the cut in the wire."

"Talk about late revenge. How long has it been? Five, almost six years?" Jet asked us.

"I don't know," I said as I picked up the two copper fixtures and rod we managed to successfully take. It's not a lot, but it's enough for me to give all of our boards a nice upgrade. "Man, this feels so good. She finally got what was coming to her after so many years, and we all gain from it. Anyway, I'm going to go clean this copper off and melt it down. I'll upgrade the boards tomorrow."

"Mission accomplished," cheered Storm before falling down on his butt. "Ugh, I'm gonna go lie down."

Jet smiled. "Great! I can nap in peace!"

* * *

><p><em>AN: I promised myself I'd never ever give a Sonic character a back-story, and I just did. I hope this chapter makes sense, even if it is just a filler chapter. I needed something to fill in the time block while Cream is at her mother's house! The copper piping idea was random because it was on the news while I was eating and I was like "Hey, that's a good idea for my story!" So, anyway, the normal plot shall resume next chapter. You're in for a little surprise, so get excited! Review please!_


	11. Desperate for Answers Part 1

I heard a dainty knocking at the door. It's probably Cream, returning from her visit.

The knocking continued. Why wasn't Jet answering the door?

"Storm! Get the door!" Jet's voice rang into my workshop. I swear, I'm going to have to close the vent between my workshop and his office unless I want to go deaf.

"He's passed out in his room from be electric shock!" I yelled back.

"Then you do it!" he ordered me.

"Jet, I am casting very hot, molten copper and I cannot afford to leave it unattended!"

Jet yelled out in annoyance, but I could still hear the squeak of his chair being moved and the thump of his angry footsteps. While he threw his tantrum, I watched the halfway molten copper cool in a molding tray. Once it fully cooled, I would have nice thick wires perfect to use for the extreme gear boards.

As I watched the metal cool, I thought I heard Jet yelling. I brushed it off; he's probably just annoyed that he had to get up.

I continued to stare at the metal. The red-hot glow was now gone, and the copper was starting to resumed its brilliant bronze color. I heard Jet's voice again. He sounded mad, madder than the situation called for. Maybe I should check the situation out? I placed a fireproof dome over the metal moldings, took off my welding gear, and left my workshop.

In the lobby was Jet, who was arguing profusely with a large green crocodile. He looked a little familiar to me, but I didn't think anything of it. Behind the crocodile was Cream, who looked scared, along with a bright purple chameleon and a bee. None of them noticed my entrance.

"Look, I don't care if Cream's mother called you, I am the owner of this ship and I want you gone," yelled Jet.

"That's great, but legally we can't leave," the crocodile yelled back.

"What's going on here?" I asked as I walked between Jet and the crocodile.

"Cream told her mother all about your arrest, which directly disobeys my orders. Even worse, her mother decided to call this idiot detective here and paid for him to investigate your case," said Jet.

"If it wasn't the fact that it was Vanilla calling, I wouldn't have accepted!" The crocodile pointed at me accusingly. "She probably stole the jewels anyway; she does belong to a gang of thieves."

"Hey, Vector, don't make make assumptions about our client like that! That's unprofessional!" said the purple chameleon.

"She's not your client!" Jet snapped.

"Now hold on, Jet," I started. "It seems as if these detectives have been paid to help me. Why turn them away? I'm getting helped at no cost to us!"

"We don't need help. You're super smart, Wave. Why the heck would you need help?"

"My smarts are for machines; I know nothing about detective work."

"I don't want these guys hanging around."

"They won't! Jet, this doesn't even have to involve you! They can work with me personally."

Jet simply stared at me, his eyes darting between me and the crocodile. I knew that what I said was getting through to him, but Jet's bossy nature was conflicting with my words. Finally, he mumbled the word "whatever" and went back to his office.

"Glad that little brat is gone," said the crocodile before turning to me. "Your name is Wave, I safely assume. Cream has told me quite a bit about you. Detective protocol. Anyhow, I haven't formally introduced myself. My name is Vector, I am the head of the renowned Chaotix Detective Agency. These are the other members, Espio and Charmy."

"If you're so renowned, how come I have never heard of you?" I said tauntingly.

"Do all of you Rogues act like stuck up brats?" asked Vector.

"Vector, stop insulting our client! We can't lose our business with Wave!" yelled Espio. "My apologies. Vector has problems thinking before acting."

"Believe me, it's nothing I'm not used to," I commented.

Vector gave Espio a look that read "Shut up or else". Jet has given that look to Storm and I numerous times. I held in laughter.

Vector cleared his throat harshly. "So, Wave, we're going to have to meet with you and get some information on this case. So when are you available?"

"Only on Sundays."

The bee, Charmy, was holding a notepad and writing down what was going on. He looked awfully young; then again, I've never met a bee before. Vector continued. "We've talked to Cream already and got her statement. We're going to need a statement from another Babylon Rogue."

"Cream is Babylon Rogue."

"No, one who you have known for at least a year."

"Uh, well, Storm is... not doing so well at the moment, and then there's Jet, who.. you know."

"Okay, I guess we'll skip the second interview."

"What happened to Storm?" asked Cream. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine; I'll tell you later." I didn't want to say anything suspicious in front of these detectives, even if they do seem a little dense.

"Anyway!" yelled Vector, breaking up Cream and I's side conversation. "We have to take you back to our detective office for investigation. Is that okay?"

I shrugged. "Sure. Hey, how did you guys get up here, anyway?"

"On these really cool boards!" announced Charmy cheerfully. Wow, okay, maybe Charmy is young! I thought it was just his size. He pointed to the wall where three really cheap looking extreme boards sat. I suppressed myself from laughing at their gear.

"Cream, go tell Jet that I'm stepping out for a bit. Don't ask why, just go do it. Oh, and get my board for me." I ordered her, my tone being both polite and sharp. When she returned, I gave another order. "Put your board in my workshop. I want to upgrade it tomorrow. Oh, and close the door for us." Cream nodded.

I swung the door of the airship open and looked out into the bright blue sky. I grasped my board in my hand and dove headfirst out of the doorway. I did two front-flips until pulling my board in and planting my feet on it. That was where the fun had to end. I had to hold myself back for the Chaotix to pull ahead to guide me to their office.

This time, I couldn't help but laugh. I thought their boards were bad; they're nothing compared to their riding skills. I thought Charmy was going to fall off of his board?

"What's so funny?" asked Charmy, peering back at me.

"Ah, oh, nothing. Sorry," I mumbled. I decided to keep quiet until we made it to the detectives' office. Their office turned about to be a quaint little building surrounded by heavy foliage.

"What do you think?" asked Charmy. He had a look of childish admiration on his face. Is he expecting me to be impressed?

"I'm used to sky, but the trees are nice," I commented.

He then winked at me. "You'll come around." This kid seems to have one of those dumb kiddie crushes on me. I guess it would be cute if he wasn't so annoying.

"Charmy, stop flirting with our client!" Vector snapped while leading me into the office. He sat me down in an old chair in a dreary dark room. It wasn't as dreary as Interrogation Room 2 back at the detention center, but it came close. Espio and Charmy came in after us.

"You know, Wave, you should be really grateful Cream's mother did this. I personally know Vanilla." I could almost see a slight blush grace his face. "She's such a wonderful woman. She really cares about her daughter and her daughter's friends. She really respects you, you know? Taking Cream in really sits high in her eyes. That's why she called me to come and help you. Now, something tells me that Vanilla hasn't the slightest idea that you Rogues are actually thieves. She would never let Cream live that way; especially since her husband... never mind. Please, don't tell Vanilla that you and your group are a bunch of thieves. It would break her heart."

I felt my throat and chest tighten. I rarely feel guilty about things, but this is something I can't help. "Vector, she'll never find out. She thinks we're a racing team."

"Alright. I jut wanted to clear those personal matters. Charmy will record everything you say while Espio and I question you. Now, you say that you are being framed for this robbery, correct?"

"Yes."

"Well, that would mean that someone really has it out for you. Do you have any enemies, whether personal or an enemy of the Babylon Rogues? Have you ever made anyone really angry before?"

"Vector, I probably have more enemies than you have clients." Espio laughed lightly at this while Vector grumbled and sat back in his chair.

"I've seen snapshots from the security footage," said Espio, "and I must admit that his case seems fishy. The suspect was wearing a spy suit and had the face concealed, but were wearing your pants, gloves, and shoes. Do you know of anyone who has clothes similar to yours?"

"Not at all," I said. "If you don't mind my input, I think the suspect is wearing my clothes that they stole. If you look closely at the pictures, you can see that my pants, while baggy on me, were very tight on the suspect."

"That's a very minute piece of information, but it may be valuable," Espio noted.

"I would like to search the crime scene with more of a lead," said Vector, "but Wave doesn't seem to know much so that's not going to happen."

"I am so sorry that I am of no help to you," I remarked sarcastically.

"You Babylon Rogues sure do have an attitude problem," mumbled Vector. "We're going to go search the crime scene. I suggest you go home because you're not allowed be at the crime scene."

"Well, okay," I muttered dejectedly. "You better find something because I don't want to rot away in jail for the rest of my life." I got up from my chair. "See ya later, alligator," I said to Vector.

"I'm a crocodile!" he yelled angrily as I jumped on my board and flew out of their office laughing. Man, he's almost more fun to make fun of than Storm!

After laughing so hard at my own joke that I almost fell off of my board, I was back at the airship knocking on the metal doors that still had the dents that Cream's friend had made. I doubt that Jet would answer the door, and Storm was still probably knocked out. Good thing we have Cream now, or I would have been waiting outside for hours!

The doors opened and I gently flew in. Cream was smiling politely at me, though I could tell by her eyes that she was holding onto some sadness.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. "Did Jet yell at you a lot after I left?" Cream closed the door and turned to answer me. Her smile was now gone and replaced by a blank expression that seemed odd for Cream.

"After you left Jet went back to his office. I went to go find Storm but the I remembered that you said he wasn't doing well. I got really worried. Is he okay?"

"He should be fine. I'm going to go check on him; do you want to come?"

Cream's eyes lit up. "Sure!" We walked to Storm's room. The door was shut. Just in case he was awake, I decided to knock.

Much to my surprise, Storm opened the door. I noticed that he was leaning against the wall for support. "Wave? What do you want? Did the boss send you?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Oh, uh, dizzy and tired. Other than that, I'm fine."

"What happened?" asked Cream.

Storm locked eyes with me. He seemed to be looking to me if it was okay to answer her. I casually shook my head no. I wanted to keel the copper theft a secret from Cream. I like Cream, but I don't trust her. Still, I had to say something. I decided to slightly bend the truth behind Storm's situation. "He touched some of my equipment by accident and shocked himself. It was quite a big shock, but he pulled through for us."

Storm scratched his head nervously. "Yeah."

"Oh, I'm glad you're okay!" said Cream. "I was really worried."

"So, how was your visit with your Mom?" he asked her.

"It was fine. I told her about Wave's situation, and she called our friends the Chaotix to investigate. Remember the Chaotix, Storm? You met them at the race."

A slight frown squirmed onto Storm's beak. "I remember."

"Oh, I wanted to tell you guys: as I was leaving to bring the Chaotix here, I saw lots of cop cars by our neighbor's house. They said that someone vandalized the house and caused the power to go out."

"Oh? Strange," I said simply. "Well, Storm, you had better rest. You still don't look well. And since we're back on duty tomorrow, you might as well get all of your resting in today."

"Right. Sure thing," he said as he gently closed the door.

Cream turned to me. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Go check on the cop- what I'm working on."

"I have nothing to do." She glanced upwards in though for a moment before gasping. "I'll clean the airship!"

I have no idea how she can possibly picture cleaning the airship as fun, but if it gets Storm and I out of doing it then I'm not going to stop her. Cream is so weird sometimes, but she's a breath of fresh air from being around Jet constantly.

Back at the Chaotix...

"Vector, we could have asked her more questions," said Espio, obviously in disapproval of his boss's actions. "She wasn't even here for ten minutes."

"Yeah, Vector!" yelled Charmy. "I wanted to get to know her."

"I don't want to stay around someone like her. She's a no good Rogue. I first met the Babylon Rogues in the World Grand Prix when Amy paid me to join her team. They have the biggest egos in in the world; whenever they won they'd rub it in our faces. Jet - you know, the green one - is the worst. I believe he's the leader, too. I don't even know why Cream joined them in the first place! They're a bunch of jerks!"

"I fail to understand her motives for joining them as well, but she seems happy," responded Espio.

"I don't want Vanilla's daughter being mistreated by some little green punk who thinks he's the sh-"

"Ooh, Vector said a bad word!" accused Charmy.

"Enough of the foolishness, Charmy. Shall we go, Vector? I'm yearning for a little adventure."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's take our new boards. Man, I am so glad I invested in these things. They sure beat the heck out of running!"

The motley group of detectives rode their boards to the location of the jewelry store. The bright yellow crime scene tape seemed to cut the store off from the rest of the world. Two officers stood behind the tape, conserving the evidence. The Chaotix warily approached them.

"We're sorry, but this area is closed from civilians. We are undergoing an investigation."

"We are not civilians," said Vector proudly as he flashed his detective's badge. Espio and Charmy did the same.

The officers eyed Charmy and his badge. "Hey, kid, aren't you a little young to be a detective?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

The officer looked Charmy dead in the eye for about thirty seconds. Charmy smiled at him the whole time, unfazed. Finally, the officer spoke and cut the tension. "Well, okay then. Go right in." He handed Vector a clipboard full of information about crime.

The Chaotix walked in and gingerly surveyed the area. There was a white circle chalked by the left side of the entrance with an evidence marker that said "01". "Vector, what's this?" asked Espio, nudging his head towards the 01 marker.

The crocodile sifted through information on the clipboard before finding a photo that matched the scene in front of them perfectly save for a single purple feather in the middle of the circle. "That's where the feather was found."

"Look at all of the glass!" announced Charmy. Everyone looked around; the floor was nearly flooded with glass, save for a few pieces that were replaced with evidence markers and taken in for investigation.

"The shards mean nothing to me," mumbled Vector to himself. "I'm interested in these break patterns."

Charmy looked at Vector as if he was speaking a foreign language, but Espio was following Vector's train of thought. "What are you thinking, Vector?"

Vector pointed to a shattered glass box that once held a priceless jewel, probably the most expensive in the shop. The glass was completely busted in on the top and had fractured along the sides. To Vector, it looked as if someone used an object to strike the glass. "These fracture are too deep to have been caused by a body part. A weapon had to have been used, and a large one at that."

"Vector, look at this!" yelled Charmy from across the shop. He was standing in front of a cracked display case.

"What?" snapped the crocodile, angry at being torn from his train of thought.

"There's something here!" he cried again. Espio walked over to the young bee to see what he was riled up about. Charmy pointed to a small chip in the glass that held a white scrap of fabric.

"Good eyes," remarked Espio. "Record it." Charmy dutifully snapped a picture of the small scene. Espio took a pair of tweezers and carefully sealed the newly found evidence into a plastic bag. "I'm sure the law enforcement officers would love to examine this."

Vector, however, was completely oblivious to the conversation between the two, as he was inspecting the damage done to the glass. The marks were so peculiar! He kept wondering what sort of object could have caused those marks. Then it hit him: the security tape! He had only seen a few snapshots of the video, not the video itself. "Boys! Let's head out!" called Vector.

Charmy excitedly showed Vector the evidence he gathered from the wreckage, gaining a nod of approval from the crocodile. "Why are we leaving so soon?" asked Espio.

"We're going to the detention center. I want to see that security tape in full, not just some snapshots."

Neither the chameleon or the bee wanted to question Vector's reasoning. He was the leader, after all. Unlike Jet, he wasn't born into his position of power. Vector was chosen by his comrades to be the leader because of his detective skills.

They hopped on their gear and rode towards the detention center. The afternoon sun was beating down on their backs, but they didn't mind. It was all in a day's work.

Vector, with his team in tow, casually strolled into he center. The man at the desk vaguely recognized him and nodded to him in recognition. "I'm handling the case of Wave the Swallow and I request to see the security tape that called for her arrest."

The clerk ran through some files. "Alright. You'll have to talk to Officer Adalon. Go through that door, Room 15. Vector said his thank you's and strode down the hall. He entered the room with his teammates to find a dark brown fox filing some papers. A faint trace of a smile etched upon his face when he noticed the detectives.

"Ah, detective Vector, I haven't seen you around in a while. I was almost afraid that you were put out of business," the officer remarked. "And you brought your team as well. What gives me the pleasure?"

"We have the honor of being the detectives for case of Wave the Swallow of the Babylon Rogues," said Vector, ignoring the offhand insult to his career.

Officer Adalon's face soured. "I had to interrogate her two days ago. Not a very friendly girl, that one. Anyway, why are you here?"

"I need to see the security footage in full. I found some interesting marks at the crime scene and need to confirm some of my suspicions."

"Sorry, Vector, but the tape is locked away."

"Really? Because we found a valuable piece of evidence at the scene that I might be willing to hand over if you show me that tape."

Officer Adalon cocked an eyebrow at the green detective, prompting Espio to hand over the photograph of the cloth stuck to the glass. The officer gasped a looked up to see the chameleon holding a small bag with a piece of white fabric sealed inside.

"I can't believe the inspection team missed that," he muttered as he got up. "I'll go get the tape."

He returned momentarily with a small VHS tape. "This tape does not leave my office," he growled as he placed the tape into a tiny, outdated TV. Espio handed over the evidence and accompanying photos.

There were a few moments of stillness in the store until glass flooded the floor. The suspect ran through the shop to the back and worked their way forward. They knew exactly what they were doing; Vector knew that would look bad for a renowned thief like Wave. He and his team watched as the figure kicked glass case after glass case and took precious jewels from them, only to shove the jewels into his or her suit.

The suspect finally reached a lone glass container holding a diamond larger than the rest. They tried to kick the glass, but their kicks did nothing to the glass. After a few failed attempts, the fiend pulled out a red and yellow hammer and pummeled the top of the glass. Once it broke, they snatched the diamond and fled the shop.

"A hammer!" yelled Vector. "So that's what caused those strange marks!"

"Yeah," said Officer Adalon. "We tried to find that hammer when we searched Wave's place of residence but we had no luck."

"That hammer looked really familiar," announced Charmy thoughtfully.

"Yes, I agree with Charmy," said Espio. "Let's rewind the tape."

Vector rewound the tape to the part where the hammer was being swung and paused it. He gasped. "I know that hammer! That's the piko piko hammer! I.. I know who it belongs to. Amy Rose the Hedgehog." Vector hung his head sadly. "Is that enough to make an arrest?"

"No, but it's enough for a search warrant. However, we need proof that the hammer is indeed Amy's."

Vector sighed sadly. He didn't want to do this to a friend and ex-teammate, but the crocodile always upholds justice. Even in the worst of circumstances. He took out his wallet and pulled out a picture of Team Rose that was taken at the World Grand Prix. Vector, Cream, and Amy were standing shoulder to shoulder smiling at the camera, boards laid out in front of them. Amy's trademark hammer was in her hands. Vector showed the memorable photo to Officer Adalon.

"Yep. That's the hammer," the officer remarked. "One of a kind, too. Okay. Amy Rose? I'll fill out a search warrant for her. Go back to your office; we'll send some officers to search Amy's house with you."

Vector got up and walked out without a word. Charmy and Espio shared confused glances before following their leader out.

"What's up, Vector?" asked Espio.

"I never thought Amy would do something like this. I can't believe we have to search her house."

"We can't prove she did it, not yet," the chameleon reminded him.

Back at the airship...

"Why are you in here?" asked Jet, annoyed by my presence.

"I'm pulling up my blueprints for the gears! It's not my fault that the motherboard to our computer system is in your office!" Seriously, I wish I could move these computers. The only time Jet uses them is when he wants to find out how much money we have.

The phone started to ring, saving me from another pointless argument with Jet. He snatched the phone aggressively.

"Babylon

"Babylon Rogues, Jet speaking. Oh, it's you. What do you want? Yes, she's here. No, you may not speak to her. I'm her boss, you tell me!"

"Who's that?" I asked. I had a feeling they wanted to talk to me, and Jet's usual stubborn self was not allowing it. Jet ignored me and continued his conversation.

"Really? Is she formally cleared as a suspect? No? Okay. At least someone else came up. Okay." Jet hung up the phone. "That was Vector; I have good news for you."

"What? They found who framed me?"

"Not exactly. They have a new suspect."

"Who!"

"...I don't know!"

"Jet! Ugh! Why didn't you ask! Or better yet, why didn't you let me talk to Vector!"

Jet just shrugged in response. "Ugh! You're impossible!" I angrily pulled up the remainder of the blueprints and sent then to the computer in my workshop. Once that was finished, I left Jet to himself... just how he likes it.

On the way out, I bumped into Cream who was putting away cleaning supplies. "Watch it!" I snapped.

"I'm guessing you and Jet were fighting," she said simply.

I rolled my eyes. "Apparently, someone called to say there's another suspect in the crime. Jet the Idiot, however, didn't ask who the suspect was."

"Maybe's it's secret?"

"I want to know!" I turned to go find my board. "And I intend to find out."

"I want to come!" said Cream. I didn't want Cream to come; I'm in no mood to babysit. Cream picked up on this. "How about I come as training?"

That last sentence got me. "Go get your board and try to keep up."


	12. Desperate for Answers Part 2

With Cream by my side, I flung open the doors of Jet's office. I ignored his evil glare and went straight for the window. I started to latch it open when Jet finally spoke.

"Where are you going now?"

"To find out what you didn't!" I said simply as I leapt out of the window with Cream right behind me. I free fell for quite some time until pulling myself into my board. From there, I decided to do a few tricks. Why not? It's great practice. Plus, I like to show off.

"Wow, you're amazing, Wave!" gushed Cream from behind.

I merely laughed in response. "Why don't you show me what you've got?"

Cream grabbed her board and flung it in front of her. She did five cutesy spins before landing on her board. She then did a quick handspring, winking at me quickly while still upside down. She landed smoothly and looked back at me. "I did my best."

"Huh! Are you trying to challenge me?" I quickly stood tall on my board and thrust my body sideways, sending me into a fast-flying horizontal spin. I landed perfectly and did a still back handspring on my board. For the finale, I placed my hands on my board and kicked in a circle, then spun on my head until I lost my momentum. I stood up and struck a pose.

"Wow, that's incredible! I didn't know you could breakdance!"

"I can do just about anything on extreme gear."

"I hope I'll be as good as you someday." I couldn't help but feel my ego swell at that comment. The rest of the trip was spent in silence as I was too built up with anticipation. Boy, once I find out who framed me I'm really going to let them have it! Or maybe I can get Storm to do it; it'll hurt them more.

Soon I was standing in front of the Chaotix's office. Instead of knocking nicely, I found myself banging on the door aggressively.

"Would it kill you to be civilized?" snapped Vector as he flung the door open. "Oh, hello Cream."

"Hello, Mr. Vector!" she said cheerily.

I rolled my eyes and interrupted their friendly banter. "So sorry about earlier; you know how stubborn Jet can be. Who's the new suspect?"

Vector's features dulled considerably, which was a major warning sign. "Uh, why don't you girls come inside?"

"I'll take it that this new suspect will be a long-shot to convict."

"I don't know about that, but the new suspect is a shocker," muttered Vector sadly. Cream and I followed him into the less professional part of the detective office. I sprawled out on the couch while Cream sat down nicely and crossed her legs. Charmy buzzed excitedly when he noticed our presence. Or should I say my presence?

"Hi, Cream," said Charmy. "Hello, Wave," he said with a wink. "I knew you couldn't stay away from me for too long."

"Whatever, kid," I quipped. Cream giggled and waved to Charmy and Espio. Espio merely nodded to her in response. "So, you say it's a shocker? I can't wait to hear this."

Vector cleared his throat unsurely. "Well, after watching the security tape, we recognized the weapon used. We were able to identify the owner and get a search warrant on them."

"I don't care about the details! Just cut to the chase and tell me who it is!" I snapped.

"My old teammate, Amy Rose."

Before I could utter a single word expressing my anger and lust for revenge for this girl, Cream jumped out of her chair and uncharacteristically pointed a finger right at Vector's snout. "You're lying! Amy would never do that."

"I don't believe it either, Cream. But the evidence is there and we have to investigate," said Vector calmly.

"Amy would never do something so horrible," said Cream. Small tears slowly slid down her face, leaving a shiny path of moisture in their wake.

"Vector, I can believe it was Amy," I said, earning angry glares from both him and Cream. "On Thursday, Amy attacked the airship trying to get Cream to leave with her. Do you remember the dents on the door? She made those."

Vector blinked in surprise and turned to Cream, who was now silently shedding tears like a waterfall. "Is this true, Cream?"

"Yeah, b-but Amy just wanted me with her. She's really protective over me and Sonic."

Vector folded his arms. "I'm seeing a motive here. This isn't good for Amy."

Cream flailed her arms wildly, getting everyone's attention. "No! Amy's my best friend. She'd never do that! Besides, there's no way Amy could pull off a robbery by herself."

"That may be true," said Espio while sitting as still as a rock, "but the evidence tells a different tale. We have a search warrant for Amy. Once the police get here, we're heading over to her house to search it."

"I have to warn her!" yelled Cream as she jumped up and ran for the exit. Espio shot up and stood in front of the door to keep her from leaving.

"You can't do that, Cream!" yelled Vector. "You'd be obstructing justice, which is a federal crime."

Cream stopped. "It's obstructing justice to frame Amy. I'm going." Cream tried to push past Espio, but the chameleon was adamant about not letting her through.

They started to argue until rough knocking on the door broke them apart. Espio opened it to reveal four police officers standing at the door. Espio moved aside to let them in while still holding Cream back. "Good afternoon. We have the search warrant and are about to proceed to Amy Rose's house. We have word that you detectives are to investigate with us."

"Actually, it's just me," said Vector as he stood up and assumed an authoritative pose.

"Are you sure?" asked Espio.

"Yes. Stay here and keep these two in this building. Charmy will assist you."

Espio nodded and let Vector and the police leave. Cream put up a small struggle to try and leave with them but it was in vain; Espio was too powerful for her. "This isn't fair," she cried as she slumped onto the floor in defeat.

"Life's not fair," I remarked. She scowled at me.

"I like my women blunt," said Charmy while looking straight at me. I flashed him sight of my wrench as a non-verbal way of telling him to shut up.

Meanwhile...

As if Vector didn't feel horrible enough about the situation as it was, Cream's upset minutes before only made the crocodile feel worse. He knew deep down that none of this was his fault and tried to shake his emotions. After all, he has business to attend to. Still, he felt that he had a responsibility to Vanilla to take care of Cream.

One of the officers knocked sharply on Amy's door. Amy came out almost immediately. She wore a scowl due to the rude knocking. "Yes?" she asked bitterly.

"Are you Amy Rose the Hedgehog?"

"Yes, why?" She looked over the officers until locking eyes with me. "What's this about?"

"We have a search warrant for your house. You're a suspect of the recent jewelry store robbery."

Amy gasped as she remembered the events preceding the robbery. She asked Rouge to frame Wave, which she did at first. But now, it seems as if Amy is the one being framed. She took a deep breath and glared at the officers. She summoned her hammer. "Get off of my property," she growled.

All of the officers pulled out their guns and aimed them at the infuriated hedgehog. They did it so quickly and precisely that it was almost robotic. "Put the hammer down and put your hands in the air!" they shouted infuriated girl.

"Make me," snarled Amy.

"Okay," mumbled one of the officers as she pulled out a tranquilizing gun and shot the pink hedgehog. Amy fell forward with a light thud while the front officers caught her and put her in handcuffs.

"Amy Rose, you are being arrested on the counts of robbery, obstruction of justice, and resisting arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say from this point on can and will be used against you in the court of law." Amy's rights were read to her despite the fact that she was unconscious.

The two officers holding Amy dragged her away, leaving a shocked Vector to stand there gaping. How could they just shoot a tranquilizing dart at a twelve year old girl?

"Great, less people to help with the search," muttered the officer who tranquilized Amy. She walked forward and picked up the hammer that Amy dropped. "I suppose this is evidence."

At the detention center...

When the tranquilizing effects began to wear off, Amy realized that she was in a prison cell. She briefly panicked, fearing that she had been captured by Eggman yet again. Soon her mind caught up with her and she remembered every detail of her arrest.

Her cell opened and two officers came in. Each officer grabbed one of her arms and led her to a room labeled "Investigation Room 1". The officers sat Amy down in a chair before taking their seats across from her. They lit a lamp and shined it on the young girl.

"So, your name is Amy Rose the Hedgehog?" asked a deep male voice.

"I prefer just Amy Rose."

"Okay. Well, I'm Officer One. I do all of the talking. This is my partner, Officer Two. She records our conversations and provides backup in case things get a little rowdy. But that's not going to happen, will it?"

"Of course not."

"So, tell me, Amy, why was your one of a kind hammer recorded to be used during the jewelry shop robbery on Friday night?"

Amy though about it. Rouge probably took it from her house when she wasn't looking. Amy knew that she shouldn't have trusted Rouge. How could this have happened? She specifically asked that Wave be framed for the crime, not herself! The girl chuckled softly to herself. Amy figured that since Rouge betrayed her, why not return the favor?

"You want the truth? Okay. I really hate Wave the Swallow. I have a whole list of words to describe her, but since I am a lady I will not be uttering those words. Anyway, I asked someone who frequently steals from jewelry stores to steal some jewels and frame Wave for the crime. She did at first, but for some reason... I'm here now. I guess she framed both Wave and I."

"So... you hired a thief to frame another thief?"

"Basically, yes. Is that going to be bad for me? I mean, I had nothing to do with the crime itself."

Officer One scratched his chin thoughtfully before turning to Officer Two. The female officer looked up at Amy. "I don't know off hand. I'll have to check the books," she said.

Officer One clapped his hands together for attention. "So, who is this person that you say you hired to commit the crime?"

"Her name is Rouge the Bat."

Both of the officers burst out laughing. "Rouge the Bat?" cried Officer One. "Agent Rouge? Ha, yeah right. Now tell me who really did it!"

Amy frowned. They know Rouge personally? Great, just great. The hopes for her to get out of this mess seemed to dim every time she said something. "I'm telling you, it's Rouge!"

Officer Two spoke up. "Ms. Rose, you are aware that during the time of the crime, Agent Rouge was recorded to be at one of her missions, right? She has one of the highest credible alibis possible."

Amy's jaw dropped. So Rouge... didn't commit the robbery? Then who did? And why were they framing her? Her thoughts turned to a thieving swallow. Perhaps Wave heard about Amy trying to frame her, and decided to turn the tables on Amy? No. Amy knew there was no way that Wave could have done that. It was paranoid to even think that. The only thing Amy knew for certain was that she is now in jail for something she didn't do. She played dirty, and was now paying the ultimate cost: her freedom.

"I'm guessing you have no other excuses," said Officer One after a lapse in conversation. "Where were you the night if the crime?"

Amy sighed. She swore she was going to be honest and she planned on staying true to that oath. "I was in my house cooking."

Officer One looked over at Officer Two and nodded. The female officer then held up a bag containing a white glove. Amy thought it was her own until she saw a square of red leather stitched onto the side. "Whose glove is this?" asked Officer One.

"I don't know."

"Oh, really? This glove was found at your house. What's curious about this glove is that it has a tear in it."

"So?" questioned Amy. "Things tear all of the time."

"Ah, but some white fabric was found at the scene of the crime that is an exact match to the tear in the glove."

"Oh, that's a problem," whispered Amy.

"Yes, that is a problem." The two officers stood up and grabbed Amy. "We are done here; you're going back to your cell."

"How long will I be there?" asked Amy.

"You're being held on bail, so unless you can pay your bail of $6,500, you are going to be here for a while."

"What?" Amy screeched. "How long exactly?" The officers ignored her and locked her in her cell, leaving the poor girl to wallow over her fate.

Back with the Chaotix...

The minute I saw Vector's expression upon entering, I knew that things weren't looking well for someone. I just hoped that someone was Amy and not me.

"Well, Amy managed to get herself arrested," he said glumly. "I knew she wouldn't be able to control her temper."

"She attacked the police?" Espio asked.

"They tranquilized her before it came to that."

"They tranquilized Amy!" Cream cried. "Why would they do such a horrible thing?"

Vector shook his head. "Amy attacked them."

"Amy would never do that!"

"Cream, are you dumb?" I snapped. "Amy is crazy. She's attacked the Babylon Rogues many times. So what's going to stop her from attacking some cops that are trying to search her house?"

"Attacking a police officer is really bad! Oh, what would Momma say? She'd be so disappointed in her!" Cream started to babble and cry. It became so bad that we almost didn't hear the phone ring over Cream's blubbering. Vector snatched it up at the last minute. I shushed Cream so we could listen to Vector talk.

"Hello? Yeah. Mhm. Mhm. Oh? Did she confess? Oh. Oh? Oh! Okay. No, thank you." He hung up. "I have good news and bad news."

"Lay it on us!" exclaimed Charmy.

"Amy's now the top suspect for the robbery. She's being charged with that, along with resisting arrest and vandalism for your door, Wave."

"So what's the bad news?" I asked. Vector and Cream glared at me again.

"That was the bad news," said Vector.

"Doesn't seen so bad to me."

"Anyway, Wave, you have been formally cleared as a suspect. Your bail refund should come in the mail tomorrow or Tuesday."

"Oh! Yes!" I jumped up excitedly. "Now Jet can stop watching me like a hawk."

"But he is a hawk..." said Charmy, cocking his head with confusion.

"It's an expression," I said while rolling my eyes. I stood and up and stretched my arms out as I yawned. "Well, today was fun and all, but I think I'm going to head home. Come on, Cream."

"I don't want to leave!" she sobbed. "Vector, there has to be something we can do!"

Vector simply gazed at Cream. "Just let it go, okay? I know you want to help her, but she got herself into this mess."

I coughed to get everyone's attention. "Well, thanks for your help, Vector and team. I owe you one. See ya." I grabbed Cream's arm and dragged her out of the office. She reluctantly followed me back to the airship on our boards.

When we landed in Jet's office, Cream sulked away back to her room. She let her extreme gear drop to the floor. After snapping at her for being careless, I pushed our boards up against the wall next to Jet and Storm's boards. I wanted to keep the boards together so I can upgrade them tomorrow.

I turned around to see Jet and Storm sitting down and looking at me like I grew a second head or something. "What?"

"What's wrong with Cream?" asked Storm. "And why are you smiling like that?"

"I have great news! I'm officially cleared as a suspect. So, Jet, you should get your money back tomorrow."

"Aw, yeah!" cheered Jet. He laid back and placed his arms behind his head. "That was great news indeed. Usually when you have great news it's delivered in technobabble that only you understand." Storm laughed rather hard at Jet's unneeded comment. I felt my face grow hot and continued informing them of what just happened.

"Haha, very funny, Jet. Anyway, the person who committed the crime and framed me was Amy, Cream's bratty pink friend."

"So that's why Cream's upset," mused Storm.

Jet laughed. "Ha, about time she gets what she deserves." He paused momentarily. "I never knew that girl could successfully commit a crime like that!"

"She's pretty smart for a twelve year old," I said.

"And violent," added Storm. "But she'll never top us!"

"You got that right," said Jet.

* * *

><p><em>AN: This chapter ended in a Babylonian ego fest, lol._


	13. Double Crossed

"Miss Amy Rose?"

The pink hedgehog lifted her head up off of the mattress. She had just spent her first night at the detention center and was rather low in spirits. She looked up to see who was addressing her. A young woman was standing in front of her cell holding some keys.

"You've been bailed out. Follow me." The woman opened the door for her. Amy shakily got up and obeyed her. Who could have bailed her out? Who did she know with a lot of money?

Amy followed the woman to see an angry looking blue hedgehog signing some paperwork. "Sonic! You've saved me!" Amy ran to her hero and nearly tackled him to the ground with a warm, heartfelt hug. Sonic rudely rejected her show of affection.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," he hissed at her as they left he detention center. They started to walk side by side.

"Sonic, you really don't think that I committed the robbery, do you?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"I don't know what to think, Amy. This whole thing is really suspicious. I want you to come with me to Tails's workshop and explain to us what is going on. You owe me that much."

Amy nodded and frowned at the coldness Sonic was giving her. Suddenly she regretted not listening to him a few days ago. She should have just let Cream be like he had suggested. "Thank you for getting me out of there. Where did you get the money?"

Sonic glanced at her. "I'm practically loaded. I've saved the town so much that my prize money is really starting to add up."

"Oh, that's great," Amy whispered sadly.

Sonic did not look at her but flashed her a thumbs up. "Hey, don't worry Amy. I'm sure this will all blow over."

Amy found herself staring at the ground, watching her red boots move back and forth as she walked. She saw a single tear fall from her face and drip onto the ground. "No, it won't, Sonic. I don't want to fully explain what happened until we get to Tails's house, but... I am responsible for this robbery."

A few awkward moments of silence passed. Amy was horrified. She knew that Sonic hated criminals; his job was to fight them, after all. How could she ever hope to have a relationship with him after this?

Sonic must have sensed Amy's fear because he sighed and spoke up. "Even if that is the case, Amy, you're still a good person at heart. One mistake won't change that."

Amy felt her lip quiver and felt more tears spill from her eyes. "You have no idea how much that means to me, Sonic," she said shakily.

Meanwhile...

"AAAAAUUUUUURRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

I instantly shot up in my bed. Jet had better have a good reason for yelling like that. I glanced at the clock; it was barely eight thirty.

I jumped up, threw on my bandana and goggles and ran out of my room. "Hey! Pipe down!" The yelling continued as I realized that Jet wasn't the only one yelling. I could hear Storm grumbling too.

"Shut up! I am trying to sleep!" I yelled as I ran into Jet's office, the source of the noise.

As soon as I entered, I paused to take in the scene unfolding in front of me. Jet was thrashing about wildly, screaming wild phrases such as "No one does this to me!" and "I'll show her who's boss!" Storm, meanwhile, was holding back Jet's arms while trying to calm him down.

I clenched my fists and sucked in a deep breath. "Stop it, right now!" Jet and Storm both froze from my yell. Storm let go of Jet, causing him to fall to the ground. Both of them were breathing heavily. "What is going on?" I asked with a loud voice.

"Boss is going crazy! I don't know what happened! He just kind of lost it and started kicking and screaming."

Jet picked himself off of the ground and grabbed a paper that was sitting next to his flipped-over desk. He probably kicked his desk over during his tantrum. He shoved the paper in front of my face. "I can't believe this," he mumbled between clenched teeth. "Read this." I took the note from him and started to read.

_To Jet, Wave, and Storm:_

_I am sorry to inform you that I am leaving the Babylon Rogues. It's been fun and all, but my best friend needs me. I don't know if it was actually Amy who committed the robbery but I feel like she has something to do with it. I feel like it's my fault this all happened. It's better if I go. I'm really sorry._

_Cream_

I turned my head to the side to see three extreme gear boards lined up against the wall instead of four. "She quit the Rogues! Oh, I don't think so. When I find her, I swear-"

I stopped speaking due to Jet clamping his hand around my arm. "You're not going anywhere. If Cream wants to quit, let her quit. We don't need her."

"But Jet, she took my gear. That stuff is valuable."

Jet's eye twitched. "She did? We're going to track her down. That's an order!" he barked. We grabbed our boards, leaving a flustered Storm standing alone.

"C-C-Cream... q-q-q-q-quit..?"

"Yes! Now let's go, you big lunk!" I shouted. Storm scrambled to get his board and followed us out.

We sped to the ground in a horizontal line, with Jet in the middle. "So Wave, where do you say we should look first?" he asked me after calming down a bit.

"The detention center. That's where Amy is."

Jet nodded and hit his boost, flying ahead of Storm and I. We struggled to catch up to him. He ended up flying right into the detention center, not even bothering to get off of his board. It's a good thing the doors are automatic, or else I probably would have to spend another night in jail for breaking and entering. At least Storm and I knew better; we jumped off of our boards and ran inside with the boards in our hands.

Jet was hovering on his board above two cops who had their guns pointed at him. The clerk at the desk looked scared out of her mind. "Have any of you seen a beige colored rabbit?" Jet demanded.

"No! Get out of here!" yelled one of the cops. "We'll shoot if you don't."

"Hmph. I'm not scared of you," taunted Jet. The police officer was about to pull the trigger when Storm snatched the gun from him.

"Nobody hurts the Boss!" he yelled.

I walked up to the clerk who looked at me as if I was going to attack her. "Do you have a hedgehog who goes by the name of Amy Rose in custody?"

She looked surprised by my calm behavior. I guess that's expected seeing as Jet and Storm are acting like barbarians right now. "N-no, she was bailed out twenty minutes ago by a Sonic the Hedgehog."

I spun around and hopped on my board. "Jet! She's with Sonic!"

"Perfect," he said slyly as left the building with Storm and I right behind him. We quickly left the town and coasted through a small field.

Jet suddenly stopped and hopped off of his board. I followed a little after. Storm tried, but due to his increased weight and height, he fell over. Jet and I giggled as he got up. "Typical Storm," I muttered.

"Hey, you're not perfect either!" He yelled to me in response. "You just think you are because you're smart and stuff."

"Stop fighting!" Jet ordered. "Do either of you know where Sonic the Hedgehog is?"

"He could be with his little yellow friend," said Storm.

"That's a good lead, Storm," said Jet. "But where is his little yellow friend?" He stroked his beak in thought. "I think he owns a house. Wave, track it."

"Got it," I said as I pulled my mini-computer off of my neck. I ran through some searches until I found some coordinates. "Sonic's friend lives in Mystic Ruins, around two miles east of a river."

"Got it," said Jet as he strapped on his goggles. "Let's go!"

I am now even more angry at Cream than I was before for leading us on this wild goose chase. We had to find her, which meant finding Amy, which meant finding Sonic which meant finding Tails. Ugh. I really want to punch her in the face.

"Hey, there's the river, Boss!" yelled Storm. We swiftly turned and began looking for a home. Sooner than later a small and homely house turned up. I quickly checked the coordinates.

"This is it!" I yelled as the three of us simultaneously jumped off of our boards and let them fall to the ground. Storm punched a huge hole in the wall and I heard Amy's and Cream's shouts from the inside. A look showed Sonic and Shrimp looking at us angrily. Perfect, they're all here.

When the dust cleared I ran ahead of Jet and went straight for Cream. I was about to punch her in he face when I felt a sharp pain at my side. Before I knew it I was slammed against the wall and was face to face with Sonic the Hedgehog himself.

"Don't you have better manners, Wave?" he chided. "That's not how you enter someone's home." His grip on me loosened as Storm grabbed Sonic and flung him across the room.

"You hurt Sonic!" screamed Amy as she ran up to hit Storm. She suddenly stopped. "Oh, they took my hammer." Instead of attacking Storm, she went over to help Sonic.

I went in to attack Cream when Tails ran in front of her. "Move it, Shrimp. She crossed us and now she's going to get what she has coming to her."

Tails took me off guard by pushing me back a few steps. He's pretty strong for a shrimp; I'll give him that. "Wave, stop! Attacking Cream will do nothing."

"Hey, only I am allowed to boss Wave around," said Jet, "and I give her full permission to harm the traitor."

"Everyone stop!" screeched Amy, who was standing beside a scratched-up looking Sonic. "I know why the Babylon Rogues are here. You guys are mad that Cream left you, huh?"

"No," said Jet. "We're mad because stole our equipment! Her board is ours!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought it was mine!" cried Cream.

"It's only yours if you're a Babylon Rogue, which you're not. So give it back!" Jet hollered.

"Okay... sorry," she mumbled apologetically.

Sonic crossed his arms. "There, now that's settled. No need to pick on a little girl, Jet."

"What, like Wave was really going to hurt her? Clearly you have never seen her fight. She's all brain and no brawn," Jet replied. Did he really have to insult me like that? "Besides, we're not just here for Cream." He pointed a gloved finger at Amy. "We're here for you."

"Why did you frame me?" I snarled, getting in her face. She pushed me down rather hard. I would have hit the ground if Jet wasn't behind me to push me back on my feet. I pulled out my wrench to show that I meant business.

"Don't talk to me like that!" she snapped.

"I can talk to you however I please, you little pink-"

"Stop it!" yelled Sonic. "Honestly, we're all here for one reason and that's to find out what really happened on Friday night. Amy seems to know the most out of all of us so why don't we all be quiet and let her talk?"

"Okay. Fine, but as soon as she spills we're out of here," Jet replied.

Amy cleared her throat. "Well, on Thursday I tried to get Cream to quit the Babylon Rogues. Wave and I even fought over it and I lost. I left, and I was really angry. I swore to myself that I'd do anything to get Cream back. That's when I had the craziest idea ever, and I went through with. I walked to Rouge's apartment.."

I was able to piece together the story before she finished telling it. "You convinced Rouge to do the robbery and frame me, didn't you? You know Rouge is a theif."

Amy swallow and looked down. "Wave's right," she admitted sheepishly. "And now, I seem to be the one framed for it. Either Rouge betrayed me... or she wasn't the one who committed the robbery."

"Amy! How could you do that to Wave?" asked Cream, obviously horrified. Even though she just betrayed me, her tone sounded as if part of her was still loyal to me.

"Don't you see, Cream? I don't want you hanging around the Babylon Rogues. They'd rude, mean, nasty thieves!"

"Hey, watch your mouth, girlie!" yelled Jet. He held out one of his bashyo fans and struck her across the face. "Don't insult me like that!"

"It's true!" she snapped. Jet jumped towards her and they started to fight, hand to hand. Well, in this case it was more like hand to fan, but you get my point. Sonic grabbed Jet by one of his head feathers and yanked him away from Amy. He did so with such force that Jet went plummeting backwards into Storm's stomach.

Jet stumbled forward from the impact. "How dare you!"

"How dare me? How dare you!" exclaimed Sonic. "Don't you know better than to hit a lady?"

Jet crossed his arms. "That girl is no lady."

"What!" cried Amy. "I'm more of a lady than her!" Amy pointed to me.

"Hey, don't bring me into this, you little brat!" I spat.

"I think you Rogues should leave," said Tails quietly. "Look what you did to my workshop."

Jet looked at the mess of the room we were in. "Well, fox boy, you're the only one here who hasn't worked up my nerves today." He glanced at Cream, Amy, and Sonic. "Hey, your little friend Amy here did a similar thing to my airship. I'll tell you what. I'll fix your house if you fix mine."

"How about we fix our own houses?" suggested Tails.

"Deal," said Jet. "Even though all we have is a dented door, and you have a broken wall."

"What?" yelled Tails. "Why didn't you mention that? I wouldn't have suggested we fix our own houses if I had known mine was worse!"

Jet shrugged. "That's business, kid. Ah ha ha ha!" Jet started to do his evil, maniacal laughter. It always freaked me out when he did that.

Sonic slapped his hand to his face. "Tails! What'd you expect to happen? These are the Babylon Rogues you're dealing with. Did you really expect anything less?"

"No... sorry Sonic," muttered Tails as we ran out laughing.

"Storm, take Cream's board," ordered Jet. "Set course for the airship."

"Sure thing, Boss."

Wait, Jet wasn't planning on going home, was he? We still had to visit Rouge! I wanted to know why she framed Amy as well as me, and maybe rough her up a little while I was there. "Jet, wait!"

I put my hand over my mouth. I did't say those words, even though I wanted to. Then who did? I turned to see Sonic running towards us with his board in his hand. His prepubescent posse was a few yards behind him.

"Well, back for more, Sonic the Hedgehog?" said Jet.

"You come to my best friend's house, break his wall down, have your mechanic attack Cream, attack Amy, have Storm attack me, and expect to just leave? No. We're going to settle this the old fashioned way. We're going to take this to the track, just you and me."

"You're on, Sonic the Hedgehog! What are the wages?"

"If you win, you're free to go. If I win, you have to completely fix the damages you've done to Tails's workshop."

"Deal. I won't lose." Jet threw his board at me, hitting me in the face. "Tune it."

"Yes, oh Legendary Wind Master," I replied sarcastically as I began to tune Jet's board. I turned away from everyone so nobody can see what I'm doing. I don't tune a gear by the books; I do it my own way. That's why my gears are the best. I can't let anyone in on my secret, especially that two-tailed shrimp. I threw the gear back to Jet.

"Wow, Wave, your tuning job is incredible," doted Cream. She grabbed Jet's board and held it above her face to inspect it. Ugh, why is she kissing up to me after ditching us? It was cute when she was with us, but now I didn't want to see it. Jet angrily whisked the board away from her grasp.

"Save it, super-shrimp." Huh, looks like I have a new nickname for her.

"So, who's in charge of this race?" asked Jet, looking impatient and agitated.

"I am," said Tails. "Don't worry, Wave will help me call the finish, you know, in case you don't trust my judgement."

"Good call," said Jet. "Where's the track?"

"There is no track. Just do one lap around the outside of the ruins. First one back wins, that's all there is to it."

"That sounds like my kind of race," said Jet as he jumped on his board. "Shall we go, Sonic the Hedgehog?"

"You know, Jet the Hawk, you can just call me Sonic," Sonic sneered while rolling his eyes.

"That's too formal; it would mean we're friends. And friendship is not what I want with you, Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Hey, stop bickering and line up over here," called Tails. He set up a digitally programmed starting line. "I made this so nobody gets a head start. It will shock you if you try, just like in the official races."

"This is looks nice, shorty," I commented on his invention. "Does it also record who finishes first?"

"Um, no, I didn't think of that," he mumbled, clearly embarrassed. "That's why I need you to help me call the winner."

I looked over to Sonic and Jet, who were standing on their boards doing some stretching. Super-shrimp was standing off to the side with her pink brat of a best friend, looking upset. Shrimp was setting up his invention while Storm watched blankly.

I shuffled over to Jet. "If you lose, you have to help Storm and I fix this house."

"Yeah, like that's going to happen."

"Jeeeeeet," I growled.

"What? You know I never lose, Wave."

I blinked. Oh, whoops. I guess I misinterpreted his comment. "Okay," I said unsurely. I stepped back next to Tails and Storm.

I rubbed the tips of my beak together nervously. Jet had better win this.

Tails's invention emitted a line of electricity while a countdown started from ten. Tails and I both stood in opposite ends of the start while everyone else stood back to watch.

6...5...4... Sonic and Jet took a few steps back and ran forward.

3...2... They gathered speed as they neared the electric gate.

1... They both hit the boost.

GO! The electricity burnt out just as Sonic's and Jet's boards touched the tip of it. I marveled at their flawless timing. To my disappointment, Jet was a few inches behind Sonic. Even so, I have faith in Jet. He's going to win. He's the best, after all. He's not called the Legendary Wind Master for nothing.

Jet took the upper hand on a tight turn, causing Storm and I to cheer. There's the Jet I know!

Sonic swerved next to Jet, bumping into him to try and pull ahead. Jet skillfully matched his every move and held him back. Sonic hit his boost and curved his board around Jet, narrowly missing him. Tails, Cream, and Amy cheered.

"Come on boss! Show 'em what the Babylon Rogues are all about!" yelled Storm.

"Yeah Jet! Show them why you're the leader!" I cried.

I don't know if Jet heard us or not, but he hit his boost as passed up Sonic.

"Get ready, Wave, they're about to cross the finish!" shouted Tails over the commotion. I nodded at him.

In the brief moment I looked away, Sonic passed Jet up. Jet boosted and passed Sonic up. Sonic passed Jet up. Sonic's in the lead. Now Jet's in the lead. Sonic. Jet. Sonic. Jet. Sonic. Jet.

A loud noise sounded as I felt the ground shake. My eyes shut themselves automatically. My ears started to ring as well as my body. I opened my eyes to find myself on the ground. Smoke covered the area like a blanket.

Slowly and unsteadily, I pulled myself off of ground and gasped in horror. Somebody must have set off a bomb.

Who could have done this?


	14. Blood Tied

_Author's note: I officially had to bump up the rating to T because of this chapter. One that note, be warned. This chapter has a lot to do with burns and medicine. There's lot of emotion towards the end. But hey, no spoilers in the author's note! That's tasteless. Read to find out_ _what happens. Remember, reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated!_

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><p>The sound of coughing filled the air as everyone stood up and waved their hands to clear the smoke away.<p>

I sat up, blinked, and looked around. I was covered in dust, as well as everyone else. Tails, Cream and Amy were getting up off the ground. I felt Storm grab my arm and pick up to my feet. I muttered a small thanks to him.

My mind snapped together and I realized the extremity of the situation. Jet and Sonic lying next to each other covered in dust and soot. Sonic's board was also charred and looked slightly damaged, but it was nothing compared to Jet's board. His board was broken into tiny prices and scattered everywhere. It was obvious the explosion started on Jet's board.

"Jet!" I cried as I ran over to help him. Jet was lying facedown on the ground. I pushed on his side to roll him over. I noticed he had a cut on his arm that bled a little. I shook him lightly, causing him to stir.

"...Wave?" he called weakly. "My... legs. They burn."

I looked down to his legs and winced. I could see nasty burn marks on his legs and torso. They were starting to blister. His racing boots also seemed slightly melted at the bottoms. I pulled them off of his feet. He cried out in pain. I probably agitated his burns by doing that, but I had too. I took a look at his feet and gulped. Let's just say that Jet's really lucky his boots are mildly flame retardant.

I heard scuffling next to me as a scratched-up Sonic rose to his feet. "What happened?" he asked me.

"Something exploded," said Tails, appearing next to Sonic along with Amy and Cream. "Jet's extreme gear must have malfunctioned!"

"No way," I said. I rubbed two fingers on the ground. Dark black soot stained my gloves. I brought it to my beak and sniffed it. "This soot didn't come from an extreme gear. This came from TNT. Someone planted a stick of dynamite on Jet's board. Somebody wanted to hurt him!"

"That's probably true," said Tails. "None of us are hurt but Jet... and considering that the explosion was literally right under Jet's feet, I'm surprised he wasn't hurt even worse!"

"I didn't want to hurt him," whispered Cream.

Everything grew quiet as their mouths hung open. Cream... dynamite... hurt... Jet? I couldn't even process the though. My mind is going crazy. I'm dreaming. The explosion put me in a coma. There has to be some logical reasoning to this! Why would Cream put TNT on Jet's board!

"Cream? You d-did this to J-Jet?" asked a very flustered Storm.

"It wouldn't be fair if Mr. Sonic lost. I didn't want to risk it. I snuck some of Tails's dynamite onto Jet's board right after you tuned it."

"Do you realize what you've done?" I snapped. "You could have killed him!"

"Well, you did something similar to Mr. Sonic at the EX World Grand Prix," Cream countered.

"That's different! I used a small time bomb then. The explosion was small and controlled. Sonic was simply thrown off of his board. There was no damage done to his board!"

"Wave," said Amy harshly. "You can't blame this on Cream. I've seen you use TNT in races. You know, throwing it at people? Cream obviously learned from you. You set a bad example for her! I knew it!" She turned to Sonic. "Now it a perfect 'I told you so' moment!" Sonic avoided her angry gaze.

"Yeah, okay Amy, because the Babylon Rogues totally blow people up and severely burn them on a daily basis. Besides, I use small sticks of TNT! Cream probably grabbed a large stick! It would make sense, considering all of the damage. Sonic's board is busted and Jet's is completely blown to smithereens." I stopped yelling, causing an awkward silence to drift between everyone. "It's your fault that Jet is hurt." I pointed to Jet, who was lying on the ground next to my leg and looking up at me with mild interest. He was probably enjoying me chewing Cream out. Good, she deserves it. The little brat is dead to me know. Boy, I'd like to strap some TNT to her board. Or maybe her face would suffice...

"This isn't anyone's fault," said Tails.

"Yes it is! It's Cream's!" I yelled. "Why did you even do it?"

"She didn't realize what she was doing," he muttered in a uncertain tone. Who is he trying to convince: me or himself?

"Sorry," said Cream. Her sweet voice was still there, but it was tainted by a hint of malice. "I'm loyal to you all, but I'm more loyal to Tails, Amy, and Sonic. I couldn't let you break Tails's house like that and get away with it."

"Oh, that's how you jusfity blowing up Jet?"

"I didn't mean too... I don't want to hurt anyone." Tears watered in her not-so-innocent eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You do not want to make an enemy of the Babylon Rogues, Cream. You'll live to regret it."

"Sonic's an enemy of the Babylon Rogues and he's fine," Amy pointed out.

"Stay out of this!" I screamed, causing everyone to wince.

"Sonic's not our enemy," said Jet in a pain-ridden voice. "He's our... rival. That's... different. Rivals... always try to prove who is better... but respect each other for... their skills."

"Jet, stop talking, you're already hurt enough," I demanded. "You need to rest."

"Who... made you... leader?" he retorted.

"It's ancient tradition that when the leader cannot fulfill his or her duties the mechanic must step up."

"Who said... I can't fulfill... my duties?"

"Boss, Wave's right. You should rest. At least for a day," said Storm. When Storm sides with me over Jet, you know things are serious.

"Fine," Jet growled. He closed his eyes forcibly. "Look, I'm resting."

Storm looked at me. "What now? You're the boss."

I rubbed my temples. "Take Jet and his boots to the airship. His legs are burnt pretty badly from the explosion. There might be other complications as well considering how close he was to the explosion. I'll have to examine him later... oh! When you get to the airship, fill a tub with cool water. Make sure it's not too cold and put Jet in it. That should stop his burns from progressing."

Storm jumped on his board and roughly picked Jet up. Jet cried out in protest. "Watch it!" he yelled, his expression screaming that he was in absolute pain. I felt so bad for him.

"S-s-sorry!" Storm stuttered as he rode off. I turned towards Sonic, who was being looked over by Tails.

"Are you alright?" I asked him.

"I'm fine. It's just... I don't understand why Cream why do something like that. She's one of the last people I'd expect that from," said Sonic.

"Well, I don't know. I don't really have time to talk about this right now," I muttered. I looked toward Amy and Cream who were off to the side arguing. Cream was crying. "They'll regret picking a fight with the Babylon Rogues."

"Wave, let it be," said Sonic. "Let's just blow the whole thing off."

"Cream almost killed Jet and you expect me to just 'blow it off?"

"Please," said Tails. "I don't want you guys fighting with Amy and Cream. That's not a fair fight. Please don't hurt them."

"Sorry, boys, but I'm not the leader. Jet is. And I'm pretty sure that after today, Jet would have Cream murdered. Only it's against our tradition to spill blood. We're not killers."

"Good to know," Sonic responded.

"Anyway, I really ought to be leaving. Keep Cream away from us. We don't want her back."

"Will do," Sonic replied. I jumped on my board and rode back to our airship and back to Storm and Jet.

My mind seemed to soar faster than my board. This past week has been seriously hectic. First Cream joins us. Then her friend attacks us. Then I get arrested. Then Storm gets electrocuted. Then Cream betrays us and decides to "accidentally" blow Jet up. Can't a bird catch a break around here?

I flew into Jet's office and was so distracted that I nearly crashed into the wall across from me. Luckily I regained my focus before it was too late. I need to keep it together! I slid my board against the wall and ran to find Storm. It was very strange to see Jet's office empty. It almost broke my heart.

"Storm! Where are you?" I shouted.

"In Jet's bathroom!" he called back.

I ran into the room and nearly knocked Storm over to get to Jet's side. He was in the bathtub, just as I told Storm. Cool water covered his legs like a soothing blanket. "Jet? How do you feel?" It was a little cramped with the three of us in one bathroom but considering the circumstances, that really doesn't bother me.

"Better," he mumbled. "My legs hurt a little less."

"Really? Let me have a look at you. I examined his legs and gasped. "This is bad."

"What?" cried both Jet and Storm.

"Jet, earlier when you told me your legs burned, you had partial second degree burns. I told Storm to put you in cold water to stop this, but I guess it didn't work. Now your burns have gotten deeper. They're not quite third-degree, thank goodness."

"I don't know what the those degrees mean but my legs feel better. So, I'm healing, obviously."

I put my hands on my hips indignantly. "You don't know what you're talking about. You don't feel any pain because your nerves are damaged. That is bad. I think we have to take you to the emergency room."

"No! Wave, do you know how much explaining we'll have to do? And how much money we'll need? Are you sure you can't take care of it yourself? You know a lot about medicine, Wave, especially burns." He has a point. Burns often happen to mechanics, so naturally I know what I'm doing. However, I've never dealt with severe burns like Jet's.

I cried out in annoyance. "Fine. Seeing as they are second-degree burns, I can handle this myself. However, if they progress to third degree burns, I'm sending you to the hospital!" I began to pace around the room in thought. "I'm going to have steal medicine, then. Do you know how hard it is to steal prescription medicine? Especially painkillers!"

"I don't need painkillers. Just get me what I need to survive."

"Are you sure? You're going to be in a lot of pain. Especially when I start fixing you up..."

"I can deal. Just get the basics."

Even in bad condition, Jet knew how to get under my skin. "Be right back," I mumbled. I rushed to my workshop and pulled out two ear communicators that we used to use for missions. I returned to Storm and Jet and gave Storm one of the communicators. I put the other one on myself.

"Storm, listen. I'm going to go and steal the medicines needed to take care of Jet. I need you to make sure Jet drinks a lot of water. Give him some tylenol. Also, make sure the water stays cold but do not use ice. That'll make it worse. Do not leave Jet's side. If anything goes wrong, let me know. That's what the communicators are for."

"Ooh... that's a lot of orders. B-but Wave, what if something happens to you? You're going without b-backup."

My eyes briefly lingered over to Jet's partially burnt form. "I'm not worried about myself at the moment."

"Okay. Good luck," said Storm.

Honestly, sometimes I don't know what I'm getting myself into. Stealing from a pharmacy in the middle of the day is hard enough. Doing it without a plan is crazy. Doing it in the middle of the day, without a plan, and no backup? I must be out of my mind.

I thought about Jet as I rode to the pharmacy. Gosh, his burns looked awful. All three of us have been injured badly and relied on the other two for help, but never to this degree. I can't help but wonder if Jet's going to make it on his own without going to emergency room. I mentally sorted through my options.

What if his burns become infected? He would have to go to the hospital unless he wants to die. And what if his burns progress? I ordered Storm to start cooling the burns, but that might not be enough. Jet's nerves already seem to be damaged. If his burns get any worse, Jet's muscles will become damaged as well. He won't be able to use his legs... and they may have to be amputated.

No. I'd rather see Jet die than have his legs cut off. Without legs, he won't be able to race anymore. Racing is Jet's life. Without his legs, he won't be living. Well, he'll be living, but he won't be alive.

No, what am I thinking? Jet's going to be fine. He's Jet. I have more important things to worry about... like this heist. I'm going to do this robbery the old fashioned way. No distractions, no acting. Just pure thievery.

I dismounted my extreme gear and casually walked down the dimly lit aisles that were littered with various items you would usually find at a drugstore. These were the least of my concerns. They're not what I need. I need... Antibiotics. Specially formulated burn ointment. Gauze. Painkillers. Screw Jet's orders, he's going to need painkillers. He may be the leader but I am the smartest.

I spotted some gauze on the end of the aisle and starting shoving rolls of it in my pocket. Who knows how much I'll need. Better safe than sorry, right? Oh, speaking of safe and not sorry, I then reached into my pants pocket and pulled out a smoke bomb. This smoke bomb was specially made by me for moments like this. The smoke is actually a chemical designed to burn the eyes and cause temporary disorentation if abosrbed through the eyes. I slid on my goggles and smiled. My toxin will affect everyone but me.

I pressed a small button on the side and threw the bomb in the back where all of the drugs are kept. I saw the grayish-white smoke float daintily from where I threw the bomb. People started to scream and cover their eyes in a pathetic attempt to avoid my poison. Oh, too bad for them.

By now the smoke was covering the pharmacy completely. I silently climbed on my board and levitated to where the prescription drugs were kept.I knew from the start that this was going to be a challenge. I have ten minutes to find four different medications. No sweat, right?

I flew to the back and felt my beak drop. There were rows and rows and rows of pills. Good thing they're alphabetically sorted or this would take hours.

I decided to start with the painkillers. These were easy; they were in the back, hidden. When people steal drugs they usually aim for painkillers because of their addictiveness. It's obvious that they'd be kept in the back under careful watch. Let's see... 500mg capsule Oxycodone. Perfect. I took out a small bag from my pocket and scooped a bunch of pills inside.

Next I decided to look for the hard one... the burn treatment. Something specifically made to treat burns, preferably a topical ointment. I plucked the small computer from my neck and ran a simple search. The computer beeped and flashed a word, a simple, single word that would help me in my search: Silvadene.

I've never heard of that drug before, but it says that's it's made to speed up the healing for severe burn wounds. Sounds good enough to me! I ran through each of the aisles like a madwoman. I have to get the Silvadene. I have to!

Finally, I reached a tub labeled Silvadene. I stuck my hand inside and moved it around. It was empty? It was empty! I cried out in anger and threw the tub across the room. When I did so, I a lone tube of medicine feel from the shelf. Silvadene! I got some! Wow, what luck.

Okay, now I need... antibiotics. Easy. Those would probably be at the front desk. They're common. Penicillin? No problem.

I shuffled around by the cash registers and found some antibiotics. Today must really be my lucky day. I'm getting everything in one go. If only today was Jet's lucky day as well...

As I walked out, I passed the cash registers and grinned. I brought my fist down on the top of one, causing it to shoot open. I grabbed all of the bills I saw and slid them in my empty pant pocket. What? I can't help myself.

"Wave? What's taking so long? Are you okay?" asked Storm through my communicator.

"I'm fine, I'll be there in ten minutes," I whispered harshly.

Now that the hard part was over I could more clearly focus on my surrondings, namely the yelling outside. There were people blocking the exit, from store employees to police officers to firemen. The police had their guns aimed and ready. Looks like they don't want me to leave. Well, how nice of them! Too bad I really have to get going.

I guess I'll have to use unconventional methods if I want to get out of here. I pulled a stick of dynamite out of my pocket. Unlike that idiot rabbit, I know how to properly use TNT. I searched for a thin spot in the wall and planted the dynamite. I climbed on top of my board and stood still, waiting. The second the wall explodes I have to rush out of here.

BOOM! I hit the thrust on my board. The smoke from the explosion mixed with the haze from my earlier bomb. Even with goggles, it was hard to see. But hey, that's what makes it more exciting!

The sun burned my eyes due to the fast transition from dark to light. I could hear the yelling increase from behind me as the explosion caught everyone's attention.

It was hard to dodge buildings, trees, and anything else on the roads because my eyes were still adjusting to the brightly illuminated word around me. Luckily, I did not hit anything. Once I deemed myself far enough from the scene to avoid detection, I flew upwards back to the airship.

"Mission accomplished, Storm. I'm on my way back now," I said proudly into the communicator.

For what would be the thousandth time this week, I flew through the window into Jet's office. I know I have already said this, but seeing Jet's office empty is a little unsettling. He's in here or on the tracks.

"How's everything?" I asked Storm the second I entered the bathroom.

"Jet fell asleep after you left. I did everything you told me to." Storm started to count his tasks on his fingers. "He's still in the bathtub, and I, uh, gave him some Tylenol, and I, um, oh! I forgot to give him water. I mean, h-he had some water, b-but not a lot.."

I stretched my body to accommodate for our height difference, stretched my arms out, and clamped my hand over his beak to stop his blubbering. "Storm, you did fine."

He stared at me in confusion. "R-ruh-really?" He gave me a hint of a smile.

"Yeah. For once," I replied, causing his smile to grow.

"Same old Wave," he remarked. I ignored him and started to dump the contents if my pocket in his hands.

"Take these and out them on Jet's desk, then come back. I walked over to the bathtub where Jet was lying. I dipped my index finger to test the temperature. The water was cool, just as I told Storm to make it. I nodded to myself in approval.

I gently shook Jet, causing him to awaken almost instantaneously. As I expected, he did not have a positive reaction to this.

"What do you want? I'm trying to sleep!" he shouted. His voice was really raspy.

"Jet, I have to dress your burns," I casually reminded him. I heard Storm's heavy footsteps enter the room.

"Can it wait until later?"

I shook my head and rested my hand on my forehead. "Storm, pick him up and go put him in one of the chairs in his office please."

"I don't like being manhandled!" whined Jet. "Ugh, I wish I could still walk." I ignored Jet's antics and followed the boys to Jet's office.

When we reached the office, Storm plopped Jet in the nearest chair. "You're really light, Boss," he idly commented.

Jet just folded his arms like a child. "Let's get this over with."

"Storm, get me some plastic gloves and hydrogen peroxide," I ordered. "Quick." Storm nodded and ran out, leaving me with an slightly annoyed Jet. Jet stared me down. "What? I don't appreciate you staring at me like that. You have no reason to be mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Cream for doing this to me!"

"Oh, that's understandable." I went to Jet's desk and gathered one of each of the pills and a bottle of water. "Take these. You have to."

Storm silently appeared next to me with my requested items as Jet swallowed the pills. "Man, I can get used to being leader."

"Too bad, I'm leader," Jet said playfully. Storm snickered.

I ignored their childishness and took if my gloves to replace them with the plastic ones. "Okay, Jet, this is going to sting. A lot."

"Wave, I just got blown up by some dynamite. This should be nothing."

"Oh, we'll see about that," I said. I took the peroxide from Storm's large hands and opened it slowly. "Are you ready?"

"Heh. Always." I poured a little bit on his left thigh. That was where the worst of the burns were - his thighs. The second the liquid hit his damaged skin, Jet shouted in protest. "AUGGH! OW! OOOOWWWW! Oh my gosh that stings!" He slammed his hand down on the armrest, causing it to crack a little. "Why are you doing this! This is the worst pain I have ever felt in my life!"

"I'm sorry, Jet, but I have to do this. Just hang tight for a bit."

I continued to carefully pour the disinfectant on his wounds. Jet tensed and winced all the while, occasionally muttering profanities or threats against Cream.

"Okay, I'm done," I said happily.

Jet let out a long breath of relief. "That was torture. Why did you have to do that anyway?"

"To prevent an infection. With injuries like that, getting an infection is easy and can turn serious quickly."

"Pfft, it's just an infection. My body will get rid of it. Or medicine."

"It's not that simple, Jet! Look, I'm only looking out for you, okay?" I argued. I decided to share my thoughts from earlier to prove my point. "You could have to get your legs amputated if you get a serious infection."

Both Jet and Storm cocked their heads at the foreign word. "Am-pew-tate-ed?" asked Storm.

I rubbed my shoulder. "Um, the doctors would have to surgically remove Jet's legs to stop the infection from spreading and killing him."

"What!" screamed Jet. "No way! I'd rather die than let that happen! I need my legs!"

"Honestly, I'd rather you die too," I admitted.

Jet glared at me, pressing his beak together. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, extreme gear boarding is your life. You love it. Without legs, you wouldn't be able to ride extreme gear. You'd be pretty miserable!"

"Oh, I thought you were saying that you wanted me to die! That's a relief."

"Yeah, Wave, that sounded like you wanted the Boss to die!"

Jet laughed nervously. "Ha, I know you hate me and all, but I didn't think you hated me to the point where you want me dead!"

I bit the edge of my beak. He thinks I hate him? What make him say that? I don'te hate Jet at all. It's quite the opposite, actually. "What? I don't hate you! What makes you think that?"

"Um, the constant fighting. And I'm always bossing you around and stuff. Isn't it obvious?"

"Jet, I'll admit that you annoy me a lot, and you can be bossy, but I don't hate you. I could never hate you. You bailed me out of jail. And, you know... you and Storm... you guys are like my brothers."

"...really?" asked Storm. Jet was speechless. I nodded at Storm nervously, only for him to shove me into his chest fur. I almost pushed away until I realized that he was hugging me. "Oh great! I always thought of you guys as my brother and sister. I mean, why not? We're all related!"

"Uh, Storm, we're not related," I reminded.

"But we're all Babylonian!"

"Yeah, but... never mind. You probably wouldn't understand."

"Wow, I though you guys hated me," Jet whispered to himself but out loud.

"Boss! I don't hate you! You're my best buddy!" cheered Storm happily.

"Jet, if I hated you, why would I being doing all of this for you?"

"Team loyalty," he answered quickly. Ugh! He is so dense.

"It's because I care about you, you idiot!"

"That's the sweetest insult I've ever heard," Jet said. He abruptly looked away. "You know.. I've always looked to you... as a mother... and Storm... as a younger brother."

"Younger? Jet, he's older than you by five years," I reminded him.

"Yeah, but he's always being bossed around," sneered Jet. "Kind of like how older siblings treat the younger ones."

Storm laughed. "I like being bossed around," he admitted. "I wouldn't know what to do otherwise. I depend on you guys."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, okay, we're all a happy family. Happy, and dysfunctional. I need to finish dressing Jet's injuries." I grabbed the Silvadene cream and gauze from Jet's desk.

"Is this going to hurt?" he asked as soon as he noticed the medicine in my hands.

"No."

"Okay, carry on." I opened the tube and noticed Jet looking out of the window. I almost dropped the medicine when I saw his facial expression.

Jet was smiling. And not one if his smug, "I'm-better-than-you" smiles. This was a real smile, one of happiness and contentment.

I turned to get a look at Storm, who was smiling just as Jet was, only his was bigger and goofier.

I thought back to the conversation we all shared and realized that this was the first time we have openly bonded as a team since the day we met.

As I poured the soft cream onto my hands, I realized that I was smiling just as Jet and Storm were.

And it felt great.


	15. Bat Fight

The first thing I did when I woke up this morning was ensure that Jet took his pills. Staying true to his character, Jet left the pills on his desk instead if ingesting them. He's so lazy and childish, I swear. Things truly never get done around here unless I take charge.

"Wave? I know that you got the pain pills, even though I said not to," said Jet as soon as he took his medicine. Why is he bringing this up? Is he mad?

"...I don't know what you're talking about."

"Either you're a bad liar or I'm good at picking up on lies. I know really you got those pills. Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't get them."

"Fine. I got them. So what? It's not a serious offense or anything. Besides, if it weren't for me you'd be in a lot of pain right now. So shut your mouth and get over it."

"Ooh, somebody's in a bad mood today."

"I just... I need to ask you something."

He raised a brow at me. "What?"

"I know it's Tuesday, but I have a lot on my mind. You know, from recent events? So I was wondering if I could step out for the day."

"Hm, what are you planning on doing?"

"Well, for starters, I'm going to go hunt down Rouge. She knows something about the robbery. I can feel it. I was also planning on roughing Cream up a bit."

"Do not go visit Cream. I do not want any of us affiliated with her in any way. Stay away from her!" barked Jet loudly and unexpectedly, causing me to jump slightly.

"...so, does that mean I can step out?"

"Yeah, why not. Might as well find out what she knows. Just stay away from Cream the Traitor. Oh, and make me a new board when you get back."

"Will do. Storm and I still have our communicators, so if you need me, ask Storm. Don't do anything stupid. Your legs are completely bandaged. Keep them that way."

"Blah blah blah lecture lecture lecture, just go already!"

I stuck up my middle finger at him before leaping out of the window with my gear. It's about time I get to go out on my own to figure things out. This way nobody can hold me back.

Last time I heard, Rouge lived in some fancy apartment in the lower parts of town. I also heard she owns a club. It would be more logical to check her apartment, but something inside of me is telling me to investigate her club. I've never been to her club before nor do I know the name of it, but I know where it is located and I have heard it is a very nice place. I guess we'll just have to see about that, won't we?

As it turned out, Rouge was at her club, cleaning. My intuition had served me well. I could see Rouge clearly through the windows of her club. The club was a huge mess; I suppose she had a wild crowd last night. I strolled up to the door and gave it a firm and angry tug, but it did not budge. It was locked from the outside! Great. I highly doubt Rouge will open the door for me. We pretty much hate each other.

I decided on a more interesting entry. I let my gear take me up to the roof, where I broke and easily slid into an open air conditioning shaft. It was unpleasantly hot but I sucked it up. You have to be tough to be a Babylon Rogue.

I crawled around until I found a spot in the metal soft enough for me to kick through. Unfortunately for me, it was softer then I thought, so my kick tore a huge hole big enough for me to fall through and hit the ground unpleasantly. To make things worse, I sliced my arm on some of the torn metal. It wasn't deep, but it stung horribly. I watched the red blood grow from the wound and slowly ooze down my arm to the floor.

Cold, metal claws ground upon my torso and picked me up of the ground. My whole body tensed in panic. "Intruder has been intercepted," said an emotionless, robotic voice.

"Thanks, hun," said another, smoother voice. I balled my fists at this voice. I lifted my gaze from the ground to see Rouge walking towards me in her usual heart-adorned jumpsuit. She wore a sadistic smile that strangely complimented her hot pink lip gloss. "Wave the Swallow. I've been wondering when you'd show up. It took you longer than I expected, even considering the fact that you are bound to that green brat Jet."

"Shut up, Rouge. I know you have something to do with the robbery and you had better spill!"

"What if I don't want to? You can't do anything it. My friend Omega here has you in a bit of a bind."

"You have a robot for a friend? Pathetic," I taunted. Her robot friend answered my remark by ramming me into the brick wall next to us.

She wagged a gloved finger. "Now, now, Omega, we don't want to hurt her too badly. I don't want to have to clean more blood than what she already brought in here."

"I don't like this one. She mocks me. I wish to crush her," responded Omega. I tried to pretend I wasn't scared, but being trapped in the hand of a deadly robot that obeys the every command of your worst enemy is not an easy experience.

"Sorry, but I want to chat with her. Can you let her go for me?" Omega release his grip, causing me to fall on the floor again. "Thanks." I tried to get a look at Omega, but all I could see were his shiny metal legs.

"Would you like for me to fix the air vent for you?" asked Omega.

"Would you? It would mean a lot! Thanks, Omega," said Rouge gratefully. Was she being affectionate with this robot? I remember at the World Grand Prix a few months back. She had a different robot on her team and she treated him like dirt, even before he revealed himself to be Metal Sonic. What makes Omega so special to earn affection from someone as heartless as Rouge?

"I thought you hated robots. You were rude to yours at the Grand Prix," I said as I got up off of the floor.

"Oh, that piece of junk? We picked him up off of the street as a last resort. Omega is my friend and teammate. We go way back. Kind of like you and your idiot gray bird friend."

"Hey! Nobody insults Storm but me and Jet! You take that back!"

"Really? Didn't seem to bother you a few months ago. Besides, you're in my club. I can do or say whatever I want. You, however, are a guest and must behave as such. My, you Rogues really don't have any manners."

I folded my arms and stared at her overly made-over face and evil aqua eyes. Have ever mentioned how much I hate Rouge? Because I really, really despise her.

"Just answer my question so I can be on my way. Did you or did you not have anything to do with the robbery?" I snapped. My patience with this brat has long worn out.

Rouge twirled one of her white tufts of hair between her fingers. "Oh, why should I tell you? You might rat me out."

"If you tell me now, I'll be gone. If you don't, I'll be gone, but you should expect many more visits from me and the rest of the Rogues. And if you think I'm lacking in manners now, just you wait."

"You're quite the bargainer. We have that in common."

"Okay, I don't care. Just tell me already."

"I don't like when people rush me, but alright. Pinky, you know her, came to me on Thursday night asking me to frame you for a crime. She wanted to get rid of you, I suppose."

"Okay. Keep going."

Rouge narrowed her blue eyelids at me. "I agreed and I did it. There, that's the story, happy."

"That's great, but why have they released me and arrested Amy? She's the suspect, not me. It doesn't make any sense how she's been arrested. I was the one being framed, not her."

"You're a smart girl, Wave. I knew framing you would be a bad idea. You would have gotten a way out of being accused. I needed a backup plan. If someone's not in the spotlight, if increases the likelihood that I'll get caught. And I obviously don't want that. So, yes, I stole the jewels and framed you. While I was framing you, I was also framing Amy to make it look like she framed you. Why else do you think the frame job was so mediocre? I'm capable of greater things, you know."

I didn't want to praise my enemy, but that plan was genius. I don't think even I could have thought of something like that.

"Speechless, I see," Rouge commented.

"How did you do it?"

Omega came shuffling over, completely ignoring my presence and going straight to Rouge. "I have repaired the air vent."

"Oh, Omega, your such a darling. Thank you!" She briefly hugged the robot.

"I have not seen Shadow for a while. Do you know of his whereabouts?"

"Hm, now that you mention it, no. I haven't seen him since Wednesday."

"I shall go find him. Goodbye, Rouge." Two jets on Omega's back activated and he hovered to the door and out of the club.

"How did you do it?" I asked again.

"Sorry, I don't reveal my secrets. Especially to the likes of you."

"Well excuse me!" I sneered. "You're just lucky you landed a job with the government. I'll be that's how you cover for your crimes! That has to explain it! I'm pretty sure Amy didn't keep quiet about your involvement in this after her arrest."

Rouge clapped her hands. "Oh, you figured it out. Would you like a medal?" She stopped clapping and placed her hands on her voluptuous hips. "Not all of us want to spend our lives on the run in a pathetic little airship. I like to live mine resting easy and living the good life."

"Hey! I steal the way I want; you steal the way you want."

She twirled her hair and pursed her lips menacingly. "Actually, I steal the way I want; you steal the way Jet wants. I'm a lone wolf thief; you're a pathetic side-kick."

I pulled out my wrench and threw it at her out of blind fury. The wrench hit her on her overly-sized breasts, caused her to bend over in pain. "I am not Jet's sidekick!"

"You're going to regret that," she snarled as she charged at me, delivering a quick hit to my shin. I lost my balance and fell to the floor. I got up just in time to receive another hit from her in the gut.

I mentally blocked the pain and focused on my target. She tried to deliver another kick but I managed to maneuver my leg to block her kick at the thigh. I punched her in he face, sending her sprawling backwards.

She jumped up and flew at me high speed, causing me to fly backwards and crash against the wall. The pain that rattled through my system was hard to ignore. To make matters worse, Rouge decided to assault my face with punches as I was trapped between her and the wall.

I have to get out of here. I don't like retreating, but now it seems to be the only option. I may be smarter but Rouge is stronger, I have to admit. I kicked Rouge back and whacked her with my wrench, sending her plummeting to the floor. I used this window of opportunity to bolt out of the door and jump on the roof to grab my board.

Rouge flew after me and landed in front of me on the roof. A few moments of us panting passed before she spoke up.

"You're not getting away that easily."

I quickly jumped off of the roof and tried to land on my board, but Rouge flew and crashed into me, bringing us both down on the hard, unforgiving ground.

Before she could attack me again I got onto my board and flew away. I started to wobble and almost fell off until I was able to maintain a proper stance on the board.

I hit the thrust repeatedly and didn't look back. I'd like to see that bat chase me while I'm on my gear!

When I finally shook her and made it to safety, I jumped into Jet's office, slammed the window shut, and fell on my knees panting. The adrenaline rush was now wearing off and I was able to feel the full extent of the pain Rouge put me in.

"What the heck?" shouted Jet, who was still in the same spot that I left him.

"Um, sorry," I replied curtly as I got up off of the floor. I avoided eye contact as I put my board against the wall.

"Wow, Rouge really did a number on you!" he exclaimed as I left the room. "Hey, where are you going? I want you to report what you found out!"

"I'll be back in a second," I called as I went to my room. On the way there I passed Storm, who whistled at my injuries. I ignored him and went straight to my bathroom.

My face looked pretty bruised and I had a black eye. Gee, thanks Rouge. I muttered some profane words against her as I continued inspecting myself. My abdominals were sore from her punch. No doubt I have some internal bruising. I also still had the cut on my arm, which I washed and wrapped up.

I went back to Jet, who looked pretty pissed off. Storm was also in the office, most likely to hear what I have to say. "Now, are you going to report to me what happened and not walk off?" Jet croaked.

I sat down in a chair. "Turns out that Rouge did commit the robbery. And even better, Amy asked her to do it and frame me for it!"

"So, then why was Amy arrested?" asked Storm, rubbing his head in confusion.

"Well, Rouge told me that she knew I'd find a way out of the framing so she framed Amy and made it look like Amy framed me."

"What? I don't get it," mumbled Storm.

Jet rubbed the underside of his chin thoughtfully. "I have a hard time believing this. Why would Rouge tell you all of that?"

"Probably because she knows that I won't turn her in because odds are Amy has already tried and failed. Oh, and to gloat at how amazing she is at thieving like the show off she is."

"So how come you're all smashed up?" asked Storm.

"Well, once she starting acting like she was better than me, I called her bluff. We argued for quite a while until she drove me over the edge and I threw my wrench at her. And it all went downhill from there."

"I'm sure it was funny," murmured Storm. I smacked him.

"Hey, don't start fighting," urged Jet. "We need to talk." That sort of took my by surprise.

"About what, Boss?"

"About Cream, that's what! Are we just going to let her go after she destroyed my board? No! We need to get her back. I'm talking about revenge, baby!"

Jet is so confusing. Earlier he wanted me to avoid Cream when I wanted to confront her. Now Jet wants us to gang up on her? I really don't feel comfortable with the idea of us beating up Cream. I think there's a better way to settle this.

"I don't know, Jet, maybe we should just stay away from her like you said earlier. It would cause more fighting if we went after her. Plus we don't have time for revenge. There's things to steal and races to win, you know!"

"Seriously, Wave? You want her to walk freely after doing this to me?"

"No, Jet! I mean, part of me wants to get her back, and part of me wants to leave her alone. She's a little girl..."

"Are you showing sympathy for her?" Jet stood up angrily, cried out in pain, and fell back into his chair.

"Jet, stop! You're going to hurt yourself even more!"

"Oh, so now you're being sympathetic with me."

I sighed and glanced at Storm, who looked extremely nervous. He always gets uneasy when Jet and I fight. I suppose it's because he can't keep up. "Jet, calm down and listen to me. I think we should do talk to Cream and find out exactly why she did this. We should demand monetary compensation or something."

"Monetary compensation?" Jet looked up and smiled greedily. "That's brilliant!"

"Woo, yeah!" cheered Storm. "Nobody messes with the Babylon Rogues and the Boss! Not even Cream... but I don't like the idea of hurting her."

"We are not going to hurt her, Storm," I reassured. "We're going to demand she repay us for the damages she caused us. We're going to be civilized."

"Pft, civilized? The Babylon Rogues?"

The three of us laughed at that comment. I mean, he did have a point. As good as it felt, none of the laughter in the world could heal the anger I still held against Rouge.

"You know, Storm, if you really want to hurt someone, you should go find Rouge," I muttered.

"But I don't beat up girls!"

"That hasn't stopped you from pummeling me before!"

"Like I said, I don't beat up girls," he repeated with a smug grin.

"You-" I managed to yell before noticing Jet's expression. If Storm and I started fighting it would make Jet all riled up. And considering his state right now, that's the last thing I wanted to do.

I balled up my fist and shook it at Storm, meaning this will be settled later.

"I don't think going after Rouge is in our best interest," said Jet. "We won't gain anything from it."

What? We won't gain anything from it? What about all those times Jet dragged us on wild goose chases just to get a race or two with Sonic? What did we gain from that? Was that in our best interest? "Jet the Hawk, you are so selfish!"

"What makes you say that?"

"You don't want to go after Rouge for me, but you drag along Storm and I everywhere to get a race in with Sonic!"

"That's different," Jet said as he folded his arms. "I need to keep my title as Legendary Wind Master!"

"'I need to keep my title'. Do you hear that? 'I need'! You're selfish! We always do what you want! Why don't you ever listen to Storm and I?"

Jet waved his hands at me. "Woah, calm down. You're going crazy on me. You're just mad because I don't want us to go after Rouge."

"Well why can't we? She beat the crap out of me and framed me for a crime!"

"Wave, calm down. Going after Rouge is a bad idea. Sure, we can gang up on her. However, she'll probably send her teammates to avenge her. You know her teammates could take us out easily."

I thought about that huge robot at her club and how easily he lifted me up and slammed me into the walls.

"I assume you're thinking because you're not saying anything. Going after Rouge is a bad idea, admit it."

"You're right. For once," I admitted.

"I have my moments," sneered Jet.

My attention was diverted as I heard frantic footsteps run through the halls. Who could that be? I stood up and ran to the door only to have someone knock me over.

"Hey! Watch it you... Storm? Weren't you sitting next to me?"

"I heard someone at the door and went to get it while you and Jet were fighting."

"Who is it?" snapped Jet. "We're busy."

"It's, um, uh..."

"Did you forget already?" I asked, shaking my head in disappointment. "I'll go and see who it is, Jet."

"N-no! It's C-Cream. Cream's at the door."

"What!" screamed Jet. "Do not let her in!"

"Uh, s-s-sorry Boss, but I, uh."

"Please tell me she is not on my ship," said Jet, clenching his teeth.

"She's not on your ship."

Jet exhaled in relief. "Good."

I turned my head to let out a small laugh when I saw two small orange figures walking down the hallway. I snapped my head back to Jet in alert.

"Jet! She's on the ship!" I screamed.

And that was when he lost it.


	16. Sickly Motives

"What? Storm, I thought you said she wasn't on the ship!" hollered Jet.

"Yeah, because you told me to tell you that!"

"It's a figure of speech, moron," I quipped from the doorway.

"Get her out! Get her out right now!" Jet screamed, his voicing going higher than I ever thought was possible. "Why, if I could move my legs without being in pain I would beat her until there's nothing left of-"

"Jet stop!" yelled Storm. He ran and held a thrashing Jet down in his chair. "Calm down, it's not healthy for your injuries. Let Wave handle this." Storm looked at me expectantly.

"Sure, Storm, I'll clean your little mess," I said as I shut the door's to Jet's office. Sometimes I think that I am the only one on this team with a brain. I leaned against the door of the office momentarily, wishing I could be anywhere else, before turning to address a certain beige traitor.

"Cream," I said blankly.

"Wave," said a voice that wasn't Cream's. "Woah, what happened to your face?"

I ignored the question. "Tails? What are you doing here? Are you her bodyguard or something?"

"Well, yeah, and I am also here to return something." Tails stepped forward with Cream and handed me something. It was the extreme gear that I built for her! I must have forgotten it when the bomb went off. I mentally kicked myself for forgetting about it.

"Hey, thanks, shorty. I bet you checked out my tune job, didn't you?"

"Um," uttered Tails as he nervously rubbed his shoes together. I'll take that as a yes.

"Uh-huh. So, why are YOU here, Cream? You have a lot of nerve setting foot on Babylonian turf."

"She wants to apologize to Jet," said Tails, obviously answering in Cream's stead.

I let out a small laugh. "Apologies will get you nowhere. If you want Jet to not be mad at you, you had better pay him. You know he only listens with money."

"How much?" asked Cream, speaking up for the first time. Her voice was small and pain-stricken.

"A lot, Cream. A lot. You burnt his legs all up and he can't walk. And it's all your fault."

Cream's lip morphed into a pout and tears pooled in her eyes. I lifted up my hand and slapped her across the face. The tears slid down her face slowly as Tails angrily pushed me away from her.

"Don't touch her! You guys can talk this out," said Tails. He stood between me and the weeping rabbit.

"Oh, wipe up your tears, you midget. You deserved that. That didn't nearly as bad as Jet's injuries hurt him. And if you want to talk this out, I am not the person you should be talking to. You should be apologizing to Jet. I highly doubt you'll be able to, thought. If you start spurting the waterworks in front of me, how are you going to handle Jet? He's much harsher than me."

Tails simply stood there between us awkwardly. I could tell by his eyes that he did not agree with something I said to her, but he chose to keep quiet. A wise decision, I'd say.

"I can handle Jet," said Cream. Her tears still stained her cheeks but did not ebb the confidence in her voice. I was a little impressed.

"Okay, well, let me discuss this with Jet. I have to see if talking to you is in his best interest. I am not in the mood to clean up rabbit blood from his floor."

Cream gulped, causing me to laugh a bit. "I was joking about the second part," I assured.

Cream smiled, but not because of my joke. It was one of those nervous smiles you give people to discreetly let them know that they should stop talking, but without being rude.

I smiled back with one of my own sarcastic grins and entered Jet's office. Jet was sitting clamly and appeared to be spaced out while Storm was tying to hide the fact that he had been eavesdropping. Because of this, he noticed my presence, unlike Jet.

"Are they coming in here?" Storm asked me.

I shrugged my head and Jet pounded his fists against the armrests of his chair. Apparently Storm's question had gotten his attention. "Get them out of my airship. That is an order."

"But Jet-"

"Get them out!" he screamed, causing Storm and I to wince.

"Jet, why don't you just demand the money from her while she's here!"

"Wave, I don't care, get them... wait what?" Jet looked at me with greedy eagerness. "What?"

"You said you wanted monetary compensation, right? Now's your chance!"

Jet scoffed. "Okay, bring her in."

I nodded dutifully and left his office. A scared looking Cream and a awe-struck Tails were outside waiting for me. "This ship is amazing, Wave. Did you build it?" he asked me.

"A little," I said. "This ship has been passed down through the generations. I have only fixed it up."

"Oh? How old is it?"

"As if I know! It could be ancient for all I know! Now, let's cut the chitchat. Jet wants to see you, Cream."

I opened the doors again and literally pushed Cream into the room. Tails cast me an angry look but walked in behind her.

"Well, well, well," sneered Jet. "Hey wait, what are you doing here?" He stared down Tails, showing that the question was meant for him.

"Cream asked me to come with her for protection. I don't blame her, actually."

"Ha! She asked a shrimp like you to help her? She must have a death wish!" Tails scowled at Jet for a moment before resuming his usual facade. Jet smiled pleasantly at Tails's reaction and turned to Cream. "You're lucky, you know that?"

"Um, why?" she asked meekly.

"Well, Miss Softie over there," Jet jabbed his thumb over to me, "decided to stick up for you by suggesting a better punishment."

"Punishment?" Cream squeaked.

"Personally, I wanted to take everything you own right from under your filth dynamite-wielding hands. Wave, however, convinced me to be civil with you and demand you pay me for what you've done."

"I'll pay you," said Cream. "I want to make up for what I did. It was really stupid. I'm sorry. How much do you want?"

Jet rubbed his jagged beak in thought for a moment before flashing us with a greedy smile. "Ten thousand."

"What? I don't have that kind of money, Jet!" she cried.

"Really Jet? That's insane!" yelled Tails. "You're being way too hard on her."

"Shut it, fox boy. I've seen your house, Cream. I'm sure you have that kind of money."

Tails glared at him. "You know, while we're on the subject of money, you still owe me for completely destroying my living room."

Jet rolled his eyes. "I'll send Storm and Wave over later to fix the damage. Okay? Okay." He shifted his gaze towards Cream. "You still owe me ten thousand dollars. Have it here within a week. Oh, and stay away from us. You are no longer affiliated with the Babylon Rogues. Now get out."

"I am not paying you that much money," Cream said. She looked a little scared about it, but she was holding her ground against Jet.

"You still defy me, even now? Tch. You're lucky you quit this team before I had the chance to kick you out. You will give me that money or I will take it from you by force."

"But Jet!" yelled Cream. "I honestly don't have that kind of money!"

"Too bad. You should have thought about that before blowing me up. Storm, can you escort them out of here? I want them off of my ship."

"We aren't leaving until you strike a fair deal with Cream," said Tails bravely.

"I beg to differ," said Jet with a hint of evil pleasure. "Storm?"

"Got it," said Storm. He picked up Tails and Cream, placed one if them in each of his hulking arms, and walked out of the room.

When he retuned empty-handed, the room was eerily quiet. I usually enjoyed the quiet, but this was not the kind to be savored. There was a sort of awkwardness hanging in the air, as if something needed to be said.

Storm, the least likely of us to break this sort of silence, spoke up. "Boss, I don't think that Cream has that kind of money. Shouldn't you give her more time than a week?"

I held my breath and waited for Jet's response. I was still angry at Cream for what she did, but deep down I knew that Cream did not deserve the punishment Jet was placing on her.

"My order will remain whether you like it or not." He then looked away shamefully. Is he feeling bad about being so hard on her? That can't be. That would be so out of character for him. There's no way.

Wait a minute. It is possible that Jet's feeling guilty. Everyone has been acting so strange lately, including myself. My guess is that it has something to do with Cream, but my guess alone won't get me anywhere. I need to do something about it.

"Jet!" I yelled without thinking, startling both Jet and Storm.

He and Storm jumped up and glared at me. "Wave! Don't do that!" he growled. "What do you want?"

I frowned a bit at his grumpiness. "I need to go out again."

Jet looked at me suspiciously. "Why?" he asked slowly.

"I need to get some parts to make you a new board," I said. Wait, why did I say that?

"Okay, fine. Just don't come back bleeding again."

I quickly grabbed my board and left. Why did I lie to Jet like that? I have all of the parts needed to make him to make him a new board. I didn't even mean to lie to him. It sort of just slipped out.

I suppose it was just a natural defense to hide what I'm up to. I decided to sit back, and for the first time, allowed my emotions to guide me instead of my mind.

Turns out, my emotions led me to a flowery and secluded cottage on the outskirts of town. I have only been here once before, but I recognized it as Amy Rose's house. Oh great. After convincing myself that I still had some common sense left in me, I knocked on the door.

"Hi... oh, it's you. Why are you here?" she spat.

"I don't know why I'm here, but something tells me we need to talk."

"Talk?" Her eyes lit up at the word, only to fade back into emptiness. "Is this about Cream?"

"No, I'm here for some girl talk," I remarked sarcastically. "Of course it's about Cream!"

"Just leave Cream alone, Wave. You've messed her up enough. Besides, she's going through a lot."

"Woah, hold up. I messed her up? What do I have to do with this?"

"The Cream I know would never resort to dirty tricks like the one she pulled yesterday. She had to have learned it from you. You messed her up!"

"You know, Newton's third law states that every action has an equal but opposite reaction."

Amy simply blinked at me. "What? We're talking about Cream, not physics!"

I shook my head. "I'm talking about Cream as well. You say that we turned Cream bad. By that logic, wouldn't Cream have turned us good?"

Amy scoffed and fired back, "Like anyone can turn you guys good!"

"Well, believe it. We're all starting to go soft. Jet and Storm haven't realized it yet, but they will. And I think Cream is to blame."

"Yeah right," Amy retorted. I felt anger bubble up in my heart, controlling me. I couldn't stop what I said next.

"How do you know it was us that made Cream 'evil'? How do you know it wasn't you?"

Amy was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

I stepped forward as if to slap her across the face, but held myself back. I'm already worn out from my fight with Rouge an hour ago. I do not need another one.

"Cut the innocent act, Amy. You're currently on bail for the robbery that you ordered me be framed for! You have nerve to talk down to me! You're on the same level as the us! You say we corrupted Cream; I say YOU corrupted her!"

Amy's mouth opened bigger than Jet's ego. "You're wrong. I only asked Rouge for a favor and it backfired," she said matter-of-factly.

"Is that what you think? You're so naive. Rouge knew that if she framed me, I would figure out a way to turn the blame towards her. That's why she framed you- you're too stupid to get yourself out of this."

"You're lying! If Rouge knew you would find out, she wouldn't have committed the theft."

"Oh, Amy. You are so dense. You really think she did this for you? Rouge is a jewel thief who is out for her own good. She did this for herself."

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't. You are nothing but a silly little girl playing around with grown women. You should have known better than to trust Rouge. Now look where it has gotten you."

Amy glared at me. "Don't you talk down to me, you filthy Rogue!"

"I'm not the one accused of an upscale robbery," I said while laughing. "And good luck convincing the authorities that Rouge did it. She has a solid alibi."

Amy pushed me angrily which, besides causing me to stumble a bit, made me laugh even harder. This girl thinks she's so innocent when she plays just as dirty as Rouge and I do. Or, at least, TRIES to play as dirty as we do. She still has a lot to learn, such as knowing when to NOT trust someone.

"No need to get angry with me. You did this to yourself."

Amy let out a cry of anguish before slumping to the ground defeatedly. "You're right. I did this to myself. Lesson learned. You win. Are you happy? I hope so. Now just leave me alone, okay? You've done enough."

"Before I leave, I want you to tell me why you really did it. And don't say you did it to get Cream back. We both know that's a bunch of bull." I knelt down to her level. "Tell the truth or face the consequences."

Amy stared at the ground sadly. Soft tears fell from her eyes onto the cement below. "I've been telling the truth. I thought maybe it would knock some sense into Cream about how dangerous you Rogues are." I glared at Amy, causing her eyes to shrink back in fear. I wanted to squeeze every bit of information from her. "...I also wanted to get rid of you so that Jet's chances of winning the race would be weakened. I wanted Sonic to win. It was more of the first reason, though. But now, I fully regret doing what I did."

"I'll bet you do, now that you face jail time."

Amy paused to wipe away some stray tears before responding. "That's not why I regret it. I regret it because... it's better for Cream to stay with you guys. You think you're so smart, huh? Well guess what? You don't even know the half of it." Amy sniffled and let more tears fall. "I talked with Cream yesterday after the bomb went off. She told me why she REALLY joined you guys."

I ignored her pathetic attempts at insulting me and got right to the point. "To be a better extreme gear rider?" That's what Cream told everyone about joining the Rogues. Had she been tricking us the entire time?

"No, well, yes... I can't explain it. Just listen to me. Let me tell you what happened after Jet got hurt. Maybe then you can see exactly what's been done."

Yesterday...

Amy stared at the damaged body of Jet with horror. It wasn't so much the sight that was shocking. It was who caused it...

After Cream confessed to the crime and Wave got on her case, Amy pulled her away from Sonic and the Rogues as soon as she could. Now she was isolated from everyone save for Cream.

She turned to her best friend, who stood frozen by her side. Tears of mixed emotions dribbled down her cheeks. Amy decided to approach the situation calmly. "Why did you do it?"

Cream did not respond, let alone move. She remained as still as a statue. "Cream! What's gotten into you? It's not like you to do this! The Babylon Rogues really have rubbed off on you," she said, muttering the last comment angrily.

"No, Amy, it has nothing to do with that. I did this out of selfishness."

"Do you realize what you've done!"

"Yes." The small rabbit turned away from Amy. "I regret it so much. I didn't want to cause Jet any harm. I just wanted to stop him from winning."

"But why..? Why did you do it?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then help me to!" yelled Amy. She realized how loud she was and spoke again, but this time lowering her voice by a few decibels. "I'm your best friend, Cream. I can tell something is really wrong. I know you didn't plant a bomb on Jet so he'd give Tails money. There has to be another reason"

"Because it's my fault the Babylon Rogues showed up at his house anyway. I had to take responsibility for what they did." To the pink hedgehog's surprise, her friend turned around and wrapped her in a hug. Cream started to sob, leaving a puddle of tears on Amy's red dress. "I can't hold back any longer. I need to talk to someone. Amy, I need to tell you the truth about everything."

The rose female was rendered speechless from astonishment and waited for her companion to continue. Cream lifted her head and looked Amy in the eyes.

"Do you want to know why I really joined the Babylon Rogues?"

"Yes," said Amy. She'd been dying to know since she first found out. Cream had told her it was to become a better racer, but now, that didn't seem to be the reason.

"Two years ago, we found it that my momma has lung cancer. She's been getting treatments and they have been very successful. But the funds my dad left us have been getting low. We can't afford the treatments anymore."

"Cream... oh my goodness! You've been holding that from me since we met! That's horrible! As for the funds, can't Vanilla just sell the mansion? It has to be worth a fortune."

The young rabbit shook her head. "Momma suggested that, but I won't let her. The house reminds her so much of Dad. I told her I'd help her bring in some money. I decided to develop my racing skills by becoming a professional racer. I decided that I was going to ask Mr. Sonic to train me."

"What happened to that?"

"On the way there I witnessed the Babylon Rogues performing a robbery. I remembered how fast they were in the races and how much talent they have. To add to that, they were thieves. I figured I could earn more money with them."

"Cream, you did all of this... for Vanilla? Does she know?"

"No," the young girl sobbed. "I have made many horrible and selfish choices since I joined the Rogues. I'm a bad person. Momma would be so ashamed."

Amy began to cry herself from emphasizing with her friend. She wrapped Cream in another hug to comfort her. "You're not a bad person. You're not selfish. You're just a young girl forced to grow up faster than expected because of what life has thrown at you. This isn't your fault."

"Thanks, Amy," sobbed Cream.

Today...

I was so weighed down from shock, sadness, and guilt that I forgot to breathe and started to choke. Amy looked at me as if I was having a seizure until I reassured her that I was fine.

"I don't understand. How come Cream hasn't asked you or Sonic for somebody for help?"

"Unlike you, Cream is a considerate person. Even though she had a lapse in judgement and blew Jet up to help Tails, she's still a nice person deep down. She doesn't go around asking for money."

I mumbled some excuse about having to leave before turning to grab my board and go home. Before I could leave, Amy told me something that I wish wasn't true.

"Cream really has turned you soft."

I flew as fast as I could back to the airship, nearly burning out the air in my gear. By the time I made it back to Jet and Storm, I was hysterical.

"Jet! Jet! Jet!" I started to scream in a chanting manner as I moved into earshot of his office. When I entered, I threw my gear aside and marched right up to Jet and grabbed him by his white and feathery chest. "You have to let Cream off of the hook."

Jet grabbed my hands and flung them off of him. He stared into my eyes angrily for what felt like an eternity before responding. "What did you just say to me?"

"Let. Cream. Off. Of. The. Hook."

"What? No! No way! Like I would ever do that."

"Jet... please..." I clasped my hands together.

Jet looked at Storm and started to mouth something to him. It looked like he was saying 'she's lost it'. He turned back to me and stared at me with his cold ice blue eyes. "What's gotten into you?"

"I just came back from Amy's house and discovered a few things."

"Why were you at Amy's?" he snapped. "You were supposed to be getting gear parts! Did you lie to me!"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I did lie to you."

Storm pointed one of his large and meaty fingers at me. "You lied to the Boss!"

"Who cares! Jet, you can't make Cream pay you all of that money. She really needs it!"

"And yet... she lives in a mansion. I'm not buying it."

"Amy told me the real reason Cream joined us. She fooled all of us," I admitted sadly.

"Oh?" said Jet, slightly amused.

"Cream's mother has cancer and is running out of money. Somehow, Cream thought joining us was her best option because we're thieves. She thought she could make money with us."

"Wow, that's really sad," muttered Storm. Jet cast him an evil glare, causing the big guy to run out of the office.

"Boohoo, a sob story. So her mother is sick. What does this have to do with me?"

I clenched my fists in anger and stared at him. "What does this have to do with you? You are trying to take money from her! Stop!"

Despite his injuries, Jet stood up and pressed himself against me. He took a finger and pressed it against my chest. "Look here, Wave. First of all, you don't tell me what to do. Second of all, she deserves some kind of punishment. I can't walk because of her! Third of all, it was your idea to demand cash from her in the first place!"

"It was either that or steal from her! What did you expect me to do!"

"So? Why are you so concerned about Cream anyway? Why does she matter to you?"

I turned away from Jet, too embarrassed to look at him. The truth is: I don't know why I'm doing this. I haven't even known Cream for a week. Yet, deep down, something about Cream has touched me. I care about her.

When Cream first joined the team, I knew it would be a bad idea. I was under the impression that she was just a little stupid girl in way over her head to learn a few racing pointers. We were so different; I didn't know how long she's stay with us. Jet gave her three months. I knew it would be way less than that.

I now understand that I was wrong. Cream lied to me, Jet, Storm, Amy, and her own mother in order to become a Rogue. She joined us to help her mother and she lied about it the whole way through. She did all of this for her mother. She did whatever it took to get what she wanted- money. Even if it was for a noble reason, Cream did this for the money. In that sense, Cream isn't so different from us after all.

My anger towards Cream for what she did to Jet has vanished. It may have been really stupid and dangerous, but it wasn't fully her fault. Cream's only six years old. Her mind isn't fully developed. So of course, her plans failed. She's in more trouble than she can handle. If you look at it, Cream's just a little girl all alone in the world. Sure, she has friends such as Sonic, Tails, and Amy, but they don't understand her. Only those with troubled lives can understand those with troubled lives. At least, that's what it feels like to me.

Jet, Storm, and I know what it's like to be alone in the world. Since we were young, all that we've had were each other. If you think about it in that sense, Cream has nobody but her mother. If things don't work out, Cream won't even have that anymore. She already lost her father because of Jet's father. I won't let her lose her mother because of Jet.

That's it. I turned around to face Jet again and looked him square in the eye. My sudden burst of confidence must have surprised him, because he took a step backwards subconsciously.

I took in a breath, ready to say what was on my mind. "Do you really want to know how this concerns you, Jet?" I asked. My voice was so thick with anger that it unleashed a wave of tension into the room.

Jet felt that wave immediately and lashed back at me with even more malice. "How does this concern me, Wave? I'd love to know. That's what I asked you a few moments ago. Only you didn't give me a straight answer."

The look that I gave him caused him to frown a little. "What? Can't handle the truth?" He taunted.

Before I would stop myself, I reached out and pushed Jet onto the ground. His injuries made him unable to get up, which put me at a huge advantage. He was stuck on the ground.

I expected Jet to lash out at me, call Storm in here to get rid of me, or anything of that sort. He did none of those things. He just laid there on the ground staring up at me with an expression of horror.

"I can handle the truth, Jet. Can you?"

"What truth?" he asked uncertainly.

"Cream's mother has cancer and cannot afford treatments anymore without selling their house. The reason she cannot afford them is because her husband's money is almost used up. As you know, her husband died six years ago all because of your father. If your father wouldn't have killed her father, he might still be alive and Cream's mother would be able to afford treatments! Your legs are burnt, big deal. You'll heal. Cream's mother has cancer, something that is incurable. When she dies, Cream will be an orphan. Who will take care of her?"

Jet just looked up at me. "She can take care of herself."

"Jet! Listen to yourself! You can't even take care of yourself. I have to take care of you! And you're fourteen - almost fifteen - years old. Cream is six. Don't you dare say she can take care of herself."

Jet still stared at me with empty eyes. "What are you trying to prove here?"

"Your father ruined Cream's life when he killed her father. And now you're ruining her life even more by demanding ten thousand dollars from her. Jet, I know that your selfish and greedy. But please, for once in your life, can you think of someone other than yourself?"

I walked towards him and pulled him up off of the floor. He didn't push me away, even though I just went off on him. Before I knew it, he was on his feet and staring at me with his empty eyes.

Our eyes met for one brief moment. In that instance, I felt as if all of my sorrows had flown out of my mind and into Jet's. As anger left my eyes, sadness filled his. I knew that at that moment, Jet understood something.

Without warning, he took a step back from me and spoke. "When you oh-so-rudely shoved me to the ground, I realized something."

"What's that?" I asked warily, wondering where this conversation is going.

"You think of Cream the same way you think of Storm and I."

I stood there, picking my words carefully. The shock of Amy's revelation was starting to fade and I was realizing how hard I was being on Jet. "How do I think of you and Storm?"

"Like you're responsible for us or something."

I smiled a little bit; I do feel responsible for Jet and Storm. Like I've said millions of times: nothing ever gets done around here unless I take charge. "Do you think I'm being harsh with you about Cream?"

Jet scowled at me. "Do I? You just screamed insults at me, grabbed me by my neck, and pushed me into the ground! Of course you're being harsh with me!"

"That's how Cream probably feels about you."

I held up my hand to prevent Jet from speaking. I knew he was going to make a comment about how he never pushed Cream on the ground or something of that sort. "Metaphorically speaking. I know what you're going to say."

"Hmph!" Jet turned his back to me. "You think you have me all figured out, don't you?"

"Yes."

"You think I'm a greedy little brat, huh?"

Jet is a brat, but not as much now as he used to be. He's gradually mellowed out since he met Sonic. "We all have our faults," I kindly reassured.

"Get out of my office." I guess Jet didn't see the kindness in that statement.

"Wait, Jet, I didn't-"

"Wave, just leave."

Without another word, I left. Just like that. I was so close to getting Jet to changed his mind, only to screw it up. On my way out, I brushed past Storm. It was obvious he had been eavesdropping. "I hope you heard the truth," I snapped at him as I made my way to my room.

I don't know why I care so much, I just do. I suppose... I really am motherly. I never realized it until my talk with Jet today. I also realized that deep down, I am actually a good person. Me. Go figure.

I just wish Jet would realize the same about himself.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Sooo this chapter probably explained a lot of why the characters have been acting strange. Any questions that you lovely faithful readers still have, namely the Wave/Cream and Wave/Jet relationships, should be answered by next chapter or the last one. Thanks!_


	17. Once and For All

I woke up that morning later than usual, no doubt thanks to stress I was under. I've been falling behind on sleep lately.

I groggily threw on my purple-flamed bell bottoms, white bandana, and red racing shoes before heading to go get some breakfast. Before I made it to the kitchen, I was knocked over by a fluffy foreign object.

"Uh, what?" I mumbled sleepily. I felt something grab my waist and pull me up.

"S-sorry, Wave," said Storm. I noticed him bend over and pick up his board. "I didn't see you there."

"It's okay. Are you going somewhere?"

"The Boss sent me on a job. Oh! Speaking of the Boss, he wants to see you."

"Oh," I said quickly. "Uh, Storm? Can I ask you something?"

Storm looked at me strangely. "Hm?"

"How is Jet this morning?"

"What... what do you mean?"

"Did he seem angry when you talked to him?"

"Oh, no, he seemed... I don't know. Different? He wasn't mad though."

"Okay. Thanks Storm." I flashed him a small and grateful smile. Storm just cocked his head in confusion and walked away.

I quietly walked into Jet's office, not knowing what to expect. Jet was seated in his chair that was facing the window. I suppose he still has some sort of grudge against me from what was said yesterday. After our argument, Jet stayed in his office all evening and did not speak to either me or Storm. I, on the other hand, shut myself in my workshop and upgraded the two boards we have. I even stared to build Jet a new one, since his other one exploded into nothingness.

"Jet? You wanted to see me?" I asked with a soft and smooth voice.

"Yes. I have a job for you," he said. His voice was a complete contrast from mine - harsh and grumbly.

"What is it?"

"I want you to go find Cream and tell her that her debt has been bumped down to one hundred dollars."

No way. No way. No way. Jet is helping Cream out? Jet the Hawk? The fourteen year old leader of the Babylon Rogues? The guy who puts his needs above everyone else's? This is a sign of the apocalypse.

"Well? Don't just stand there! I gave you a task!" Jet snapped, ripping me from my thoughts. Yep, he is holding a grudge.

Instead of feeling relieved for Cream, I felt guilty. Jet was really angry, I could tell. Maybe I was too hard on him yesterday. "Jet, I... thank you."

"Yeah, whatever. I can't be the bad guy all of the time. She IS only six years old. I guess I did go too hard on her... but that's it for that. Go do your job!"

I shuffled my feet awkwardly. Is he mad at me or what? "Um, so how are you feeling?"

"Didn't I just give you an order? Go!"

"Well, I'm also supposed to be taking care of you. That's also my job. How are your burns?"

Jet turned to face me. He looked like his usual self, which meant that he was angry. Oh boy. "They're... healing I guess. I don't know," he snapped.

"Can you walk?"

"I haven't tried," he admitted, slightly ashamed.

"Can you try for me? Please?" I begged.

"If it will get you out of here." Jet let out a sigh of annoyance and rose from his chair slowly. He took one step forward, followed by three more. His stance was fine, but he wasn't bending his left knee, resulting in a slight limp. He tried to play it off, but there's no fooling me.

"Hey, look, I can walk. Now go!"

"Jet, why weren't you bending your left knee?"

"I didn't feel like it."

I threw my hands on my hips and raised my tone. "Jet the Hawk! If you ever want to ride your extreme gear again, you will tell me why you aren't using that knee!"

"It hurts."

"Sit down and let me look at your leg."

"I thought I gave you a job to do!" he hissed.

"Jet, your health is more important to me."

"Oh, well I'm flattered," he sneered as he unsteadily sat back down in his office chair. I knelt down at his side and unwrapped the bandages by his knees. His burns have healed immensely; the irritated blood red flesh was now a gentle pink color. I even saw some of his green fur-feathers starting to grow back. I grabbed Jet's left leg and bent it manually. It bent just like any other knee would, but I heard Jet slam his hands into his chair and squeeze the worn out blue leather.

"Did that hurt?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

"Yes," mumbled Jet. "A lot."

"Oh... you might have a damaged ligament. I'll have to get you a knee brace. Since your knee can still move, even if I have to force it, that's a good sign that your limp won't be permanent. You can now walk, which is even better."

"When can I start riding my gear again?"

"I don't know. I don't even feel comfortable with you walking just yet, let alone extreme gear riding. Besides, I haven't finished rebuilding your board yet."

Jet grunted angrily, showing disproval of my recommendation. "Very well. I'll stay put. You, however, have a job to do. Go."

I got up to leave, but turned to face Jet when I was just inches from the door. "How does it feel knowing that you did the right thing?"

I wasn't expecting an answer, but Jet gave me one. "Surprisingly bland. So don't get used to this!"

I laughed as I slowly opened the Babylonian-decorated door. As I walked out, I said, "You know... I'm really proud of you, Jet."

Jet merely scoffed in response, but as I walked out I could swear that I saw him smile a bit out of the corner of my eye.

I grabbed my Type-W board and gracefully rode out of the airship. I decided to leave out of my workshop instead of Jet's office. I don't know, it's quicker this way.

My newly tuned board ran quite smoothly. I really outdid myself this time! I giggled a little at my accomplishment as I rode into the ever elegant Leaf Forest.

I walked up the door steps of the most exquisite house and gently knocked on the grand wooden doors. I was greeted by the smiling face of none other than Cream's mother.

I surveyed Vanilla's form. She was dressed rather modestly, even for a mother. She didn't show any signs of cancer other than having a slightly thinner coat of fur. She beamed at me kindly, but I could see that her eyes held some sort of worry. "Wave! Pleasure to see you. I've been hoping I'd see you."

"Uh, why?" I asked bluntly. Vanilla's smile turned into a slight frown and made me realize my error. She expects manners. Whoops.

"Cream came home yesterday and told me she quit the team. She then locked herself in her room and has been in there ever since. Amy came over yesterday afternoon to talk to her, but Cream hasn't changed. I'm quite worried about her."

"Would you mind if I talked to Cream, Mrs. Vanilla?" I asked nicely. "I think I know what's wrong."

"Go ahead, dear. Her room is upstairs, first door to the left."

I forced myself to thank her for letting me in and navigated through the grand house to the stairs. I couldn't help but think of Jet as I observed the various trinkets that decorated the mansion. I'll bet if he was here, he'd be lost in one of his greedy daydreams again.

I followed Vanilla's directions and came face to face with a white door that said 'Cream's Room' in bright orange letters. Well, that was easy! I knocked on the door forcefully.

"Momma?" called Cream's voice from inside. "What is it?"

"It's me," I said blankly.

There were a few moments of tense silence. "Come in," she said hesitantly.

I walked into her room and was nearly paralyzed with girly-ness. Her walls were painted light orange, and every single piece of furniture was white and lacy. Cream was in the corner, kneeling over a open large white box that contained her pet chao, Cheese. Upon seeing me, Cheese watched me warily, unsure if I was a friend or an enemy.

"Why are you here?" Cream asked me.

I got straight to the point. "Jet sent me here to inform you that your debt has been reduced to one hundred dollars."

Cream jumped up from excitement. "Oh my gosh! Yay!" she cheered. Then reality set in. "What made him do that?"

"After you left the airship yesterday, I went to go talk to Amy." Cream tensed up at those words. "We argued a lot. It ended in her telling me the truth about everything. I know why you really joined us. I know about your mom. I know about the bomb."

Her spirits dimmed noticeably. "I... I'm sorry Wave. I should have never joined the Babylon Rogues. This was all a mistake."

"Cream, you need to let someone help you. Amy is willing to help. I'll bet even Sonic and Tails would want to help you."

"Wait, hold on, you're not mad at me? Why?"

"I don't know... I guess you've been through a lot. You're only six years old. You shouldn't have to go through this." I leaned in towards her. "I know that I'm mean, but I still have feelings deep down inside. I think of my coldness as a survival tactic more so than an actual trait."

Cream rubbed her white furred muzzle in thought. "Wave, I know this is sudden, but do you think I could rejoin the Babylon Rogues?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. You know... Jet."

"Oh. Um, how is Jet doing? Is he getting better?"

I sighed sadly. "He can walk, but he has a limp. He's healing, though. I just hope he gets better soon; I don't like seeing him like this."

"I'm really sorry..."

"You should be! There's no excuse in the world, not even your mother's sickness, that can justify what you've done."

"So... you ARE still mad at me."

"...a little bit. I'm too worried about Jet to be mad at you. Besides, you're only a child. You still have a few golden years of naivety before you experience the horrors of the world."

"Wave, you make it sound like everyone is bad. There are some good and happy people in his world."

I shook my head. She is so simple minded. It almost makes me wish I was a child again. That way I wouldn't have to worry about all of this.

Suddenly I felt a vibration in my pocket. Cream must have heard it as well, because she looked at me with big brown curious eyes. I felt my pocket and realized my communicator was still in there from two days ago. Ugh. What does Storm want?

"What is it, Storm? I'm busy!"

"This isn't Storm. This is Jet." I heard yelling and clanging in the background. "I'm calling you and Storm back to the ship."

"Jet! What's going on?"

"Someone's trying to enter the ship! And they don't sound happy, either. Normally I would take care of this myself, but since SOMEONE told me I can't walk..."

"I'll be right there," I announced as I shoved the communicator into my pocket. "I gotta go, Cream. See ya."

I ran down the stairs and out of the door, attracting Vanilla's attention in a bad way. I hope Cream can explain the situation to her. Then again, I don't really care. I took off as fast as my gear would allow me to the airship.

"Wave!" I heard someone call. It was Storm; I know his voice anywhere. He standing on his board a few yards behind me and was pointing at something. "Look!"

A large hole had been blown on the side of the airship. "What! And I just repaired the door, too! Ugh," I muttered as I flew inside of the ship. It was eerily dark inside. This cannot be good.

"What part of the ship are we in?" whispered Storm.

"We are obviously in the lobby, Storm."

"I can't tell! It's dark in here!"

I ignored Storm's stupidity and concentrated on my hearing. I heard yelling coming from down the hall. I pressed on and signaled Storm to follow. As we made our way down the hall, I could the yelling more clearly.

"You owe us," yelled a dark, deep voice.

"I don't owe you anything!" yelled Jet. His voice sounded funny, like it was forced.

"The boss is in trouble!" announced Storm as he took off faster than Sonic (not literally, of course). I was right on his tail. "Boooooooossssssssss!" he hollered as he charged through the doors.

"Chaos Control," said the deep voice. The next thing I knew, Storm was on the ground. What? He was just in front of me.

I looked up at Jet, who was being held above the ground and violently strangled by a black hedgehog. I recognized him as Shadow, Rouge's friend and teammate.

Oh, great. Now I know what this is about. "Shadow, get the hell out of here," I snapped.

He turned to me. "I don't take orders from anyone."

"I'll bet you take them from Rouge. Why else would you be here?"

Shadow growled at me. "Don't sass me or I'll hurt this little green boy here."

"I am not little!" barked Jet. Shadow's grip on him tightened, causing him to cough from lack of oxygen. Jet used his good leg and kicked Shadow in the face, causing Shadow to drop him. Jet tried to get away but unfortunately for him, Shadow was faster. He grabbed Jet by his head feathers and pulled him back. He ended up smashing Jet painfully into the windows of his office. I couldn't help but wince at the sounds I heard.

Meanwhile, Storm was just getting up off of the ground. He saw the horrible fate that befell Jet and charged Shadow. The two got involved in a brawl that I dared not get into; I do not possess strength like those two have.

Jet struggled to pick himself off of the floor as they fought. His beak was busted and there was a little bit of blood. I dashed over to him and lifted him up off of the floor. My efforts proved to be a waste of time, however, because Storm was sent flying backwards into us, sending both Jet and I to the floor.

"Mmmm," was all I could say. I couldn't move my beak, considering that it was pinned against the floor. I felt feathers all over my body and shivered knowing they weren't mine. Awkward.

"You guys are pathetic," said Shadow. I heard AND felt Jet grumble next to me. He and Storm were breathing heavily. I tried to wriggle free, but I was pinned helplessly under Storm, who was being held by down Shadow. The only thing I managed to free was my beak. It was like an awkward sandwich: Shadow was holding the top, Storm was stuck in the middle, and Jet and I shared the bottom.

I heard the unmistakeable clank of heels come into the office. I felt my whole body tense when I figured out who this person was.

"Hey Shadow, let's bail. These thieves have nothing of interest," cooed Rouge. I felt something sharp push against my outer thigh. Rouge was pushing her boot into my leg. "What a bore."

"Get your stripper heels off of me," I taunted.

She removed her heel only to bring it back in a kick. The force of the attack caused me to cry out in pain as I was pushed to the side while still being smushed under Storm. To make things worse, I was pushed into Jet, whose beak was now pressed into my shoulder. "These are not stripper heels. These are boots. Not that I would expect you to know that considering your... current fashion sense."

"At least I don't dress like a slut!"

"You're just jealous because I actually have something to show off," she shot back. "You're as flat as a board." I felt Storm and Jet laugh at that comment. I felt my face grow hot; I've never been so embarrassed in my life!

"Whatever," I said, backing down. Rouge just laughed at my defeat.

"Let's get out of here, Shadow."

"This place is boring, anyway. Chaos Control."

I don't know what just happened, but I felt the pressure on me recede a little. Storm noticed this too, and was able to finally get up off of Jet and I.

"Well that was uncalled for," muttered Storm.

"I hate her. I hate her. I hate her," I repeated over and over.

"Don't we all," said Jet. His beak was cracked on both sides and there was a bit of blood, not to mention his healing burns. Storm had various scrapes all over him. I was fine other than my injuries sustained yesterday and the kick that Rouge gave me. That was going to leave a nasty bruise. "Storm, Wave, go see if they took anything. I'm going to go fix my face and turn the lights on. But not in that order!"

We nodded and obeyed Jet's orders. Storm took the right side of the craft while I searched the left. I made sure to check my workshop with extra-sharp precision. Once I was sure that absolutely nothing of mine was stolen, I checked the lobby and kitchen. Thankfully, nothing was taken from there either.

I reported back to Jet, who was very pleased to hear nothing was taken. Storm also reported that his side of the ship was okay as well.

Jet pulled out a clear box from underneath his desk that I instantly recognized as the key to Babylon Garden. "Well, as long as this is still here. I can't afford to lose this." With that being said, he put the box away. "So, how did it go with Cream?" he asked me.

"Really well. Everything is settled. She asked to come back, but I told her no. I think the three of us can handle things just fine now. She's just really glad you lowered her debt."

"Wow boss! You're making her pay less? That's awfully nice of you!"

Jet rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I have my moments. So, do either of you know why those two were here anyway?"

I shuffled my feet. "Um, to tell the truth, I think they were probably here to get back at me for beating up Rouge."

"So that's why she looked like that!" yelled Storm. "That black guy had me pinned down on top of you guys, but I could see Rouge when she came in. The whole left side of her face was bruised."

I started to laugh. "Glad to know my punches can cause lasting damage."

Storm laughed at well, but Jet just sat there looking miffed. "This is why I hate when you two run off on work days."

"Oh, lighten up."

"You weren't the one slammed into a window," Jet snapped, ending the conversation with me. "Storm, how did it go with Tails?"

"I got the job halfway done."

"You should go back and finish. I don't want that fox complaining to me about his broken house again. Wave, go help him. And when you get back, fix that hole those pests made!"

I nodded and got up to follow Storm out of the room."Don't get attacked," I jeered as we left. I heard Jet grumble and place his head on the desk.

Storm and I got to Tails's house after a few minutes of intense speed riding. Our new boards are so awesome; I'm so glad we stole that copper.

When we arrived, I saw the yellow fox was standing in his doorway, looking at Storm skeptically as we approached.

"I'm here to help too, shorty," I greeted.

"Thanks, but um, Storm, when you left you were in good condition. Now you're all beat up looking."

"Why do you care?" asked Storm blankly.

Tails just shrugged and led us inside. "Sorry I asked," he muttered under his breath.

I heard a sharp intake of breath from across the room and turned to see Cream sitting on Tails's newly-cleaned maroon couch. "Cream?"

"Hi Wave. Um, I decided to listen to you and I told Tails about my problems."

"What problems?" asked Storm.

"Her mom!" I whispered roughly. Storm never catches on to things unless either me or Jet help him.

Tails sat next to her. "That was an awful lot to hold in, Cream. I'm glad you told me. Sonic has a lot of money, more than he needs. He would be glad to help you. He helped Amy by bailing her out of jail."

Cream's head snapped up. "Oh, guys, did you know that Amy has turned herself in for the robbery this morning?" She has to spend a few months in jail and has a very large fine to pay."

"How much?" question both myself and Tails.

"Five hundred thousand."

Storm began to count on his fingers while Tails and I gasped.

"Where is she going to get all of that? Is Sonic going to help her out again?" asked Tails.

Cream shook her head sadly. "Mr. Sonic will only help out a little bit. Amy has to pay for most of it. She's going to spend her whole life paying off that debt."

I crossed my arms. "She deserves it."

I could see that Tails and Cream disagreed, but they did not voice their opinions. Smart kids.

"So, what now?" asked Storm, switching glances between Cream and I.

"We're going to fix Tails's living room, then fix the whole in the airship, and then live life as we usually do," I answered.

"Um, but what about Cream?"

"She's going to live with her mother. It's the best thing for her."

"But what if-" I cut off Storm by elbowing him roughly in his fluffy stomach. I knew he was about to mention that Cream's mother might die, which is why I did what I did.

"Cream's happy with her mother."

Storm just nodded like an idiot, bobbling his big head up and down. Tails jerked his head towards the half-way refurbished wall as a nice way of telling Storm and I to shut up and get to work.

Storm went to the corner and hauled a huge package of lumber to the work area. I felt somewhat pathetic considering all I could do was was carry a simple toolbox.

We immediately got to work on the house, with Storm moving at a faster pace than me.

"Wow, you're not totally useless after all," I commented.

Storm cast me an angry look and continued hammering away.

"I'm kidding! Jeez. I know for a fact that you're good for a lot of things. You'd saved Jet and I's feathers more times than I can count."

Storm stopped working and wiped his forehead. "Really?"

I nodded. "And that's a real compliment, because I can count very high."

Storm smiled. "Thanks. Um, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," I replied casually as I resumed my work.

"Do you think the great Babylonian gods sent Cream to us?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Why?"

"Well, since Cream started to stay with us, I've noticed that you and the Boss have been nicer to me and all. I think Cream has something to do with that. Oh, and we also helped Cream out a bit, too. Especially you."

Wow, I didn't even think Jet noticed the changes in all of us, let alone Storm. I thought I was the only one. "Well, I don't know. I guess opposites attract."

"Can't argue with that," Storm muttered as we both continued to work again.

As I repaired the wall I kept on thinking about what Storm said. Maybe the Babylonian gods brought Cream to us for a reason. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Who knows.

Then again, Cream has been connected to us since before she was born, thanks to Jet's father. I don't believe in fate. But if I did, I would say that it sure has a strange way of working out.

_The end._


End file.
